


Diverging Timelines

by hopecanbeyoursword



Series: self-sacrificing friends stay together 'til the end [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Anxiety, Counseling, Crossover, Emotional Support Dogs, Friendship, Identity Reveal, Mentions of PTSD, Minor Character Death, Nightmares, Opening Up, Parent Tony Stark, Percy Jackson Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Science Bros, Swordfighting, The Incident, Therapy, They both live in new york, Tony Stark's Collection of New York Teens, Trust, adjusted time line for the movie, canon to the books, dad tony stark, godly dna is new to tony stark, i created my own timeline, mentions of infinity war, percy and peter were/are just kids, quick reflexes, the boys team up, they grew up too fast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-15 05:56:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13606986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopecanbeyoursword/pseuds/hopecanbeyoursword
Summary: Percy Jackson and Peter Parker are both residents of New York. When Peter goes on patrol in Manhattan during the battle, their lives begin to overlap. Superheroes and demigods both reside in the city, and it's only a matter of time until the two boys finally meet. They have more in common than they thought, and once they learn about each other, become fast friends.





	1. What Happened in Manhattan?

**Author's Note:**

> After realizing that it was likely my two favorites lives could overlap, I decided I had to write about it. I created my own timeline for the events that happen, including the Battle of Manhattan, Home-Coming, the Second Great Prophecy and Infinity War. I took liberties on a few things, so Peter's side of the story is not necessarily canon though I tried to keep it as close as I could. They boys will meet before hand, figure out something is up with the other, but won't become friends until after the events listed above are completed.
> 
> Anyways, on with the story!

Peter smiled as he swung from building to building. It was still a new development, as he had gotten his powers only a few months ago.

 

He usually stayed around home, but today he felt like exploring more. He was making his way towards Manhattan, keeping his eye out for any small crimes he could stop. As he approached the city, however, he began to feel tired. He blinked, trying to shake the feeling off as he continued, pausing when he noticed everyone in the city was asleep. Cars were stalled, and there were people curled up on the ground.

 

He only had enough time to wonder what was going on, before he collapsed on the top of the building he had been standing on, falling asleep.

 

* * *

Percy held on tightly as he was being flown across the city, the flying pig squealing as it flew. He frowned as he noticed a figure dressed in blue and red, something about it seeming familiar, but had no time to think about it as they approached the statues he needed to activate.

 

He smiled triumphantly as the statues came to life, attacking the flying pig, and he dropped, Blackjack catching him.

 

It was a small victory in the scheme of things, as the battle was still ongoing. Percy sighed, heart heavy as he directed the pegasus to where he wanted to be dropped off.

 

It was going to be a long day.

 

* * *

Peter groaned as he woke up, the city coming to life as well. Confused voices hit his ears, and he was able to pick out certain conversations.

 

“What happened?”

 

“What the-?”

 

“Did I just lose a few  _ days _ of my life?”

Peter glanced down, taking in the chaos. There were statues in headlocks, and in places they shouldn’t be. As well, a helicopter was parked in front of a building, the pilot looking confused. Peter stared at it, taking in the logo on the side.  _ Dare Enterprises.  _

He had heard about the company. It was well-known, and there were a few buildings near his home that had been constructed by the company.

_ What was that doing here?  _ He wondered. Peter made his way down the side of the building, sneaking through alleyways until he could get close enough to the helicopter to hear the pilot calling someone.

“Where’s my daughter, Jones?” The voice came from the other end of the line, and Peter was glad at that moment that he had super hearing.

“I- I dunno,” the man, now identified as Jones, replied, hanging his head in shame. 

“What happened?” the voice was angry, cold.

“One minute I was flying. I heard Ms. Dare scream, then everything went dark. I just woke up, a day later, somehow on the ground. But she was gone.”

 

“You better find her.” That was the last thing the voice said before the call ended. The pilot looked terrified.

“Gotta find her, gotta find her,” he muttered to himself.

Peter tilted his head. Did he have time to see if he could help finding the missing girl? He checked his watch, deciding that he could spare a couple hours before he had to head back home. May had been away for a few days, believing he would be at Ned’s, playing with legos and video games since school hadn’t started back up yet. She wouldn’t be super concerned that he didn’t check in yesterday.

And wow. How did he miss a day of his life? How long had traffic been stalled before he arrived?

He didn’t know where to start, however. He wished he could access the cameras he knew were there, but didn’t have any access to a computer. Peter knew they were fairly restricted, but he was well versed in computers, so it wouldn’t take him too long.

Looking around, he spotted a library. He hesitated; he was still in his suit and didn’t have anything to change into, but he pushed his worries aside. There was a girl missing. He had to help.

Sighing, he made his way down the building, ducking into the library. He was relieved when hardly anyone looked at him, too concerned about what had happened.

Peter quickly logged into the computer, his library card number luckily memorized, fingers typing furiously. He would be lying if he said he hadn’t hacked the cameras before. They were helpful when he was trying to track a criminal. This time, however, it was different. Mumbling under his breath, Peter searched for a picture of the girl he was looking for.

 

Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She was about two years older than him. Her green eyes seemed to stare into his soul through the monitor, like she could see things he could only dream of. Her red hair was pulled onto the top of her head, a few curls escaping. Her face was covered in freckles, and the shirt she was wearing was covered in paint.

“Okay,” Peter murmured. Now that he knew who he was looking for, he started checking the camera feeds. It took about ten minutes until he spotted her.

She was arguing with a boy who looked like he was Peter’s age. The boy had an angry glare and scowl on his face, hands gesturing wildly. Rachel just looked at him calmly, her eyes dreamy. Then she clambered up on-- was that a  _ pegasus? _ \-- and took off.

Peter shook his head, blinking, before looking back at the screen. There was no way… But there it was, on the screen. A black, winged horse.

Peter knew that Norse mythology was semi-real, just not in the way stories said. Afterall, Thor,  _ the  _ Thor, was real. But how could Greek mythology be real, too?

_ Maybe I just hit my head too hard,  _ Peter thought to himself. He shook of the thought, before using the cameras to follow her path. He grinned, satisfied with his work, until she left the city, and there were no more cameras to follow.

Scowling to himself, Peter moved to close out of the camera feed. He would have to try and track the girl himself.

Then something caught his eye. There was a group of kids in matching shirts standing outside the Empire State building, swords in hand. They looked exhausted, and some were crying. And the Empire State building was… blue?

Shaking it off, Peter closed out of the feed, before speeding out of the library. He shot a web up to the top of the building, and swung off in the direction Rachel Dare had gone.

 

He grinned at the feeling in his stomach as he soared through the air. Once there were no more buildings he could use, he sighed, dropping to the ground. He followed the road, coming to a hill. He climbed it, watching his footing. Peter’s face paled when he reached the top, where a single pine tree stood. And there, wrapped around the base of the tree, was a dragon.

“Okay, that’s it,” Peter mumbled. “I need sleep.” He turned to leave, a flash of red and the sound of voices causing him to stop.

He saw the girl he was looking for walk into a house that lay in the valley.

Peter’s spider-sense went off, warning him not to get closer. Instead, he pulled his phone out, snapped a zoomed in picture of Rachel, before leaving. As he sat on the roof of a bus heading back to the city, he hacked into Dare Enterprises, finding Mr. Dare’s email. Sending the photo anonymously, he left a two sentence message.

_ I helped look for your daughter, and she is alive and safe. She’ll return soon. _

He worded it carefully, not wanting it to seem like Rachel had been kidnapped. Satisfied, Peter hopped off the bus, and made his way back home, swinging through the city.

* * *

_ He gripped my sleeve, and I could feel the heat of his skin like a fire. "Ethan. Me. All the unclaimed. Don't let it . . . Don't let it happen again." _

_ His eyes were angry, but pleading too.  _

_ "I won't," I said. "I promise."  _

_ Luke nodded, and his hand went slack.  _

_ The gods arrived a few minutes later in their full war regalia, thundering into the throne room and expecting a battle.  _

_ What they found were Annabeth, Grover, and me standing over the body of a broken half-blood, in the dim warm light of the hearth.  _

_ "Percy," my father called, awe in his voice. "What . . . what is this?"  _

_ I turned and faced the Olympians.  _

_ "We need a shroud," I announced, my voice cracking. ‘A shroud for the son of Hermes.’” _

* * *

Percy was right: it had been a long day, and the next day had been even longer.

But the battle was over, and they had won, though many had died in the process. It made his heart ache and stomach churn, but he was relieved that Annabeth was still there at his side, along with Thalia and Grover.

 

Their time on Olympus flew by, only coming to a screeching halt when Zeus offered him immortality. He knew he did the right thing turning it down. He owed it to Luke, to Ethan, and all the unclaimed demigods who felt ignored. He made a promise, and he was going to keep it.

It had been the longest day of Percy’s life. It had been a day of burning burial shrouds and paying respects to those who had died fighting for Olympus. It was a birthday the son of Poseidon would never forget. The sight of Luke’s broken body would forever be burned into his memory. After all that Luke sacrificed for them, Percy knew he had to keep his promise to the son of Hermes.

_ Those were the last words he heard _ , the son of the sea thought to himself.  _ The last words Luke Castellan heard were “I promise.” _

Percy set his thoughts aside when Annabeth approached him, cake in hand. He looked at her, taking in her blonde curls and gray eyes.

And all was right as he created a bubble around them, pulling her closer.

It was pretty much the best underwater kiss of all time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're intrigued by this chapter. It's just to set things in motion. Bare with me as I update, as I'm also busy with school. I'll update whenever I can!


	2. A Chance Meeting in Central Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter goes through the events of Homecoming, Percy and Annabeth go on a date, and the two boys meet for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so most of this is a recap of the movie, with some of Peter's thoughts added in. I wanted to establish his headspace after everything that happened. It was also a perfect time for the boys to meet for the first time.

Peter’s heart was racing as he willed Ned to answer the phone. He breathed in relief when he heard his friend’s familiar voice, and tried to tell Ned that the glow-y thing was a bomb, but Ned (and Liz) wouldn’t let him get a word in.

 

He blew air out of his nose in frustration, pushing himself to run faster, only slowing to web his backpack to a tree. For a split second, everything seemed okay, and then chaos broke out.

 

Hearing MJ yell that her friends were in there stopped Peter cold. Trying to shove the worry aside, Peter ran, before pushing off the ground and landing on the side of the monument.

 

Karen’s voice calmed him just enough to let him climb up. He was relieved to hear he had ten minutes. He could do this.

 

And then the helicopters showed up and he had less than three minutes to save them, and no parachute.

 

Taking a deep breath, he fought down his fear, before leaping off the tower, gliding around the helicopter, before crashing in through the window. He winced as he felt glass cut him, shooting a web down the elevator shaft as it began to fall. Just as he was about to celebrate the save, the elevator started to fall again, and Peter was yanked forward.

 

Panicking, he shot a web up, hoping it would stick. As soon as he had the elevator relatively under control, he tried to calm his teammates down. Then he started pulling, using all his strength, until they reached a level where people could pull the occupants to safety.

 

And then the elevator started to fall again, coming down around Peter, with Liz still in it. Peter’s heart stopped as he heard he scream, and he quickly shot a web down, breathing out in relief when it wrapped around her wrist. He ignored the sound of the elevator hitting the bottom, concentrating on pulling Liz up to safety. 

 

She was pulled out by their teacher, relief evident in everyone’s eyes. Just when he he thought it was over, the web securing him snapped, and he fell down the elevator shaft, crashing into the rubble at the bottom.

 

_The fall wasn’t_ too _bad,_ Peter thought to himself as he clambered out of the rubble. _Just a few bruises and a sore leg._

 

When Aunt May picked him up, he let her hug him tightly, letting the feeling of safety wash over him.

 

_That’s definitely the scariest thing I’ve done._

 

* * *

And it was… until it wasn’t.

 

The only thing on his mind was to stop the bad guys. He ditched Ned at school, making his way as quickly as possible to the ferry. It thought it was going well, until a weapon was set off, cutting the ferry in half.

 

He could hear the screams of the terrified passengers. He asked Karen for help, trusting her to tell him what to do.

 

He followed her webbing pattern as quickly as possible, relieved that it seemed to be working. When the webs started snapping, he leapt into the air without thinking, grabbing a web in each hand, trying to pull the boat back together. Peter thought it was working, until he heard the familiar sound of Iron Man’s thrusters.

 

He tried to help his mentor, but it didn’t go well. Peter hung his head as he waited until they were both back on solid ground.

 

He expected the yelling, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. He hated being treated like a child. Peter knew he was young, he wouldn’t deny that. But his powers had forced him to consider responsibility more than ever, and after Uncle Ben had died, he took his hero-ing seriously. Why couldn’t Mr. Stark see that?

 

Peter hated the disappointed look in his aunt’s eyes, guilt at causing her worry bubbling in his stomach. After all, they were each other’s only family left. He couldn’t help the tears that pricked at the corner of his eyes as he told her he lost the Stark internship, and he felt her arms wrap around him. It reminded him of when he was younger, and she would hold him when he had a bad dream, often of his parents at the start.

 

He felt even worse after the principal talked to him, but not necessarily out of guilt. It was the disappointment of the man who believed Peter would do great things, and saw him throwing it away to do who knows what.

 

Maybe he could ease the guilt by taking this time without the Stark suit to make up lost time with his friends, and work on bringing his grades back up.

 

For awhile, it worked. He missed the sensation in his stomach as he flew through the sky, missed the warm feeling in his chest when someone thanked him for help. But it was nice to curl up and watch movies with May, build lego sets with Ned, and actually get some sleep.

 

He thought he could have a nice, normal night at homecoming with Liz. He was still surprised she agreed to go with him. His heart swelled thinking about it. He was nervous, but only because this was the girl he liked.

 

Then her father opened the door.

 

This was the man who tried to kill him.

 

He couldn’t keep his eyes off of him, wary. He couldn’t believe that the Vulture was Liz’s dad. Pete had thought it was some crazy mad-man, not a man with a nice house in the suburbs that he lived in with his nice, normal family.

 

Knowing that he wasn’t going to heed Toomes’ warning, he let his phone drop onto the floor of the car, watching as the car drove away.

 

All the other noises in the gym faded out as he realized what he was going to have to do. He hated ditching Liz again, but he couldn’t let those weapons hurt anyone. Part of one had almost killed his friends! Granted, it had only been in the monument because Peter asked Ned to look after it, but Peter only had it because a weapon had been dropped.

 

He was terrified, and in pain, as he was tossed around in the bus, the glass digging into his skin easier as he was wearing his homemade suit. Seeing Ned with his web shooters was a relief, and he was able to get the upper hand.

 

Peter sent his best friend off to track his phone, and once he knew where it was heading, went to find the first car he could.

 

Of course, ironically, it was Flash’s, or at least his dad’s.

 

Peter’s heart raced as he tried to drive Flash’s car, but having only started lessons, it was tricky. He was thankful he knew enough that he hadn’t died yet, but he hoped it would be over soon. It was terrifying, almost being hit multiple times, and his panic only grew as the car was flipped over. Luckily, he wasn’t injured very badly, and quickly made his way into the warehouse.

 

The sound of the building collapsing on him would haunt him for the rest of his life. A huge piece of concrete forced him down, pinning him to the ground. He blacked out for a minute, only to wake up crushed with everything hurting. He was alone, no guy in the chair, no friendly AI, no way to call for help except his voice. He let his tears fall.

 

_This_ was the most terrifying moment of his life.

 

Dust coated his face, and he glanced down into the puddle under his face, taking in his appearance. Tony’s words came back to him, motivating him to try and escape again.

 

He used all his strength, ignoring his screaming muscles.

 

He took in deep, gulping breaths of fresh air the moment he was free, before forcing himself to follow the Vulture to Stark Tower.

 

He had never been more scared of heights, but held on. He winced as he was banged against the plane, feeling more bruises forming. For a heart stopping moment, he thought he would die, shredded by the plane’s engine, but his quick thinking and webs saved him. He took a moment to appreciate the fact that he was still alive, until he heard alarms going off.

 

He flipped to the top of the plane, using a web to try and steer the plane away from the city. He braced himself as he realized it was going to crash, being thrown around as it hit the sand, going up in flames.

 

As he tried to get up, the Vulture attacked him, slamming him face first into the ground, before his greed took hold and he tried to steal weapons.

 

Peter, by all counts, should hate the villain, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He tried to warn Tomes that his wing was going to explode, but the older man wouldn’t listen.

 

Bracing himself, Peter ran through the flames of the exploded mechanical wings to save the man. Peter didn’t want anyone to die on his watch, even if they tried to kill him.

 

Hearing sirens, Peter secured Toomes, left a note, then ran off. Once he was away from the scene, he pulled his mask off, relishing in the cool air. He closed his eyes, leaning back, all the pain hitting at once.

 

* * *

He knew it was right to turn down the invitation. After all, it couldn’t be real, could it? And anyways, after his encounters with the Vulture, Peter was more than happy to stick to being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

 

Especially now that May knew.

 

* * *

Percy smiled at Annabeth as she continued to talk about an architect, and what project they were currently working on.

 

They were walking around Central Park, breathing in the fresh air. It helped was the tension their nightmares of the Battle of Manhattan left behind.

 

They stayed close to each other, weapons tucked away in an easy to reach place, and Annabeth’s cap tucked in her back pocket just in case. The recent war left them anxious, having not been very long ago.

 

It was their third date, and the first in a loud and crowded place.

 

Wanting a break from the cacophony of screaming kids and laughing teenagers, they made their way over to a more secluded spot.

 

They sat down side by side under the shade of a tree, watching other people walk by.

 

Percy played aimlessly with Annabeth’s curls as she returned to talking, happy to just be there with her. The war had taken their toll on them, the two sixteen year olds having seen too much already. It was a relief they had made it through alive, together.

 

“Hey,” Annabeth nudged Percy. “Let me up. I’m getting too warm. I’m going to go inside for a moment,” she gestured at a nearby information building. “You can stay here, if you want,” the blonde added on, seeing her boyfriend was comfortable.

 

He hesitated, but agreed. He didn’t like being separated from her when a monster could attack at any moment, but he would easily be able to see her. Percy watched her walk away, before two teenager’s conversation caught his attention.

 

“MJ, c’mon. Peter will be here,” the boy sighed, hands moving while he talked.

 

The girl raised her eyebrow. “Ned, he’s been really flakey this past month. You can’t be sure.”

 

“I know Peter. He _will_ be here.”

 

Percy watched the two friends walk on, noting where they said they were heading.

 

Shaking his head, the demigod leaned back against the tree, basking in the shade. His muscles relaxed, but his eyes were still alert.

 

Five minutes later, a boy ran by, stopping at the nearby map of the park. He didn’t appear to be out of breath, but he was sweating.

 

Percy lifted an eyebrow looking at the boy’s shirt. It seemed to have some sort of science joke on it. Percy didn’t understand, but had a feeling Annabeth would appreciate it.

 

Frustrated, the boy ran a hand through his hair. “Now, where did they say to meet?” The boy turned, spotting Percy.

 

“Hey, have you seen two people my age walking by? One’s a girl with a purple streak and a Black Lives Matter shirt, the other a guy, shorter, probably wearing something Star Wars related?”

 

“Uh, yeah, actually,” Percy replied, looking up at the boy. He looked like he was a couple years younger than him, but he already had the familiar look of keeping an eye out on his environment for danger. “Do their names happen to be MJ and Ned?”

 

“Yeah, how did you know?”

 

“Heard them talking,” Percy shrugged. “So you must be Peter. They were debating if you would actually show up or not.”

 

“Sounds like them,” Peter groaned. “Did they happen to say where they were going?”

 

“The Frederick Douglass statue.”

 

“Do you uh, know how to get there? I haven’t been here in awhile.”

 

“Yeah, I’ll show you. Let me let my girlfriend know where I’m going so she doesn’t worry.”

 

“You get in trouble a lot?”

 

“You could say that,” Percy agreed as he stood. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

 

The demigod made his way over to the information building, enjoying the feel of the air-conditioning. “Hey, Annabeth. I’m helping someone find their friends. I wanted to let you know, so you didn’t think I was attacked by a monster or something.”

 

She raised an eyebrow at him.

 

“And yes, he’s safe. Just a nerdy mortal looking for his two nerdy friends. I’ll be back in five to ten.”

 

“Alright, I’ll wait for you here.”

 

“Great, thanks!” Percy hesitantly pressed a kiss on her cheek, smiling as he face softened at the action.

 

Stepping out of the building, Percy made his way back to Peter. “Alright, let’s go. By the way, I should probably introduce myself. My name’s Percy.”

 

They made small talk as they walked over the statue, discussing school and their interests. Surprisingly, they had more in common than they realized.

 

“There you are!” the boy Percy knew to be Ned called out when he spotted him.

 

“Thanks a lot, dude,” Peter turned towards Percy, smiling.

 

“It was nothing,” Percy shrugged. “You’re actually pretty cool, considering I have no idea what you’re talking about when you talk science.”

 

“Maybe we’ll run into each other again,” Peter called out as he walked backwards towards his friends.

 

“It’s a big city,” Percy laughed. “But crazier things have happened.”

 

Peter nodded his agreement. “Nice meeting you!”

 

Percy waved, before heading back. After all, he had a date to get back to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will also have some recounting, but on Percy's disappearance, and of what he goes through before reaching Camp Jupiter. Also, we'll see a little of Peter hanging out at the compound a little more.


	3. Disappearing Act

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy plans to spend the weekend at Camp Half-Blood, but never shows up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so there's a fair amount of this that's taken from the Son of Neptune, but I wanted to put it in to make sure everything going on was clear, in case someone hasn't read the book/hasn't read the book in awhile.

Percy yawned as he collapsed on his bed. It had been a long week at school, full of tests and projects. He was grateful he had Rachel there to help him.

 

He didn’t even blink when an Iris message appeared, revealing Annabeth, her curls pulled back from her face.

 

“You still coming tomorrow, Seaweed Brain?” she asked, voice light and teasing.

 

“Mhmm,” Percy mumbled as he closed his eyes. “Looking forward to it.”

 

He heard Annabeth sigh. “Percy. How many all nighters did you pull this week?”

 

“Uh… just three?”

 

“Percy, you need to get more sleep. This isn’t healthy. I know the nightmares make it hard, I get that. As well, I know you have school work. But your health is more important in the long run.”

 

“Annabeth Chase! Are you telling me to not do my homework?” Percy asked, a smile spreading across his face.

 

Annabeth blew air out of her mouth. “I’m just saying. You’re doing too much. I’m worried about you.”

 

Percy’s voice softened. “I’ll be okay, Annabeth. I’ve got you on my side, after all.”

 

Annabeth smiled. “Alright, you sap. Just get some sleep, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

“Can’t wait,” Percy responded, before swiping his hand through the message. Sighing, he forced himself up to pull his shoes off, tossing his sweatshirt and shirt onto the chair near his bed. He turned his lamp off, before laying back on his bed, letting sleep over take him.

 

_Percy’s feet were rooted to the ground. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as he looked between Luke, who was laying bloody and bruised on the floor, and Annabeth and Grover, the latter tending to the former._

 

_Luke was pleading with him, those blue eyes wide and full of pain._

 

_Percy’s thoughts were all over the place, but Luke’s eyes being his own blue ones, rather than Kronos’ gold ones gave him the last push he needed to hand over the blade._

 

_He watched, horrified, as his first demigod mentor, the one who made him feel welcomed and at home in the Hermes cabin raised his hand, and forced the blade down onto his skin._

 

_The howl that tore from Luke’s lips at the pain would haunt Percy forever. Luke’s last words would forever linger, and the image of his broken body laying completely still and void of life would flash before his eyes for a long time._

 

* * *

Annabeth leaned against Thalia’s tree as she looked down the mortal side of the hill, waiting for her boyfriend to arrive. It was almost noon, so he would be arriving in the next ten minutes.

 

She tensed when she felt someone place their hand on her shoulder, but the tension left her body when she realized it was Thalia.

 

They stood next to each other in silence, content with knowing the other was there. They had been through a lot together, coming out alive after each battle.

 

“What time is it?” Annabeth asked after waiting for what seemed like hours.

 

“Oh, wow,” Thalia remarked as she glanced at her watch. “It’s almost one. Wasn’t Kelp-Head supposed to be here like, an hour ago?”

 

“Yeah,” Annabeth frowned. “He probably got into trouble again. Likely a monster attack. He’s a homing beacon, honestly.”

 

“Maybe check your phone to see if Sally left a message?” Thalia asked. “If he got caught up in something, she’d know.”

 

Annabeth agreed, and after Thalia promised to wait at her tree, the daughter of Athena made her way to her cabin. She rummaged through her stuff to find the small, grey flip phone she usually kept off, except in the case of emergencies. She waited impatiently for it to power on, frowning slightly when she saw she had a missed message from Sally Jackson.

 

_Annabeth,_ Sally’s voice sounded worried. _I went to wake Percy up because he was sleeping too long and had to gather his stuff before I drove him to camp. But when I entered his room, he was gone. I know he didn’t sneak out, so I don’t know what happened. I’m really worried about him. Rachel is with me, since I called her too, to see if she knew anything. Please, if you find anything out, let me know._

 

Annabeth blinked, letting the words sink in. _Percy was missing._

 

* * *

It had been three weeks since Percy went missing, and they were no closer to figuring out what happened.

 

The demigods knew it had to be related to the gods somehow, but none of them were answering. They were all worried about the son of the sea god. He always managed to get himself into trouble.

 

Annabeth, Rachel, Grover and Thalia had a schedule set to visit Sally, to update her on the search and comfort her. It wasn’t fair that she had to go through this.

 

It was Annabeth’s turn that day, as Thalia was off searching with the Hunters (Percy being the only male demigod that earned their respect), Grover was out with other satyrs, and Rachel was being forced to spend the day with her father.

 

Annabeth was curled up on the couch, her shoes kicked off and laying on the floor. Paul was at work, so it was just her and Sally.

 

They were flipping through a scrapbook of pictures from when Percy was a little kid, when his eyes were wide and full of innocence, before he had been thrust into the world of demigods and monsters.

 

The daughter of Athena smiled sadly when she saw how happy her boyfriend had been before he entered their world, her life. She knew he hadn’t had it perfect, knew that Smelly Gabe caused it’s own trauma, that he hadn’t had a friend until Grover. However, he had been given a wonderful mother who loved him more than anything. That was the only reason Percy looked upon his childhood fondly. He had been through a lot more than other demigods had, and none of it had been his fault.

 

She stayed the whole day in the Jackson-Blofis apartment, including dinner and a movie with Percy’s parents. And just for a little bit, she was able to put her worries to the side.

 

* * *

His eyes snapped open, hand going to his pocket before he even had time to think. He blinked, and there was a sword in his hand.

 

His face twisted into a look of confusion as he tried to think how he had gotten there. But there was nothing, no memories in his mind to tell him where he was. Trying to quell his panic, he took in a deep breath.

 

_Okay,_ he thought to himself. _What’s your name?_

 

Percy Jackson, his mind supplied.

 

_Age?_

 

Sixteen.

 

_Family?_

 

Nothing.

 

_Home?_

 

Nothing.

 

_Friends?_

 

Nothing. Empty. Lost.

 

Percy squeezed his eyes shut, letting the thought that he didn’t remember _anything_ sink in. He was alone, in an unknown place with no way to call for help, because he didn’t know who to call. Forcing his eyes open, he looked around, taking in his surroundings, trying to find something to hold onto.

 

He was cold laying on concrete, especially since he was wearing an orange t-shirt, with no jacket. Percy glanced down at his shirt, trying to figure out what had been printed on it, but it was too faded to get any information from the black print, except the letter A.

 

There was an ache in the back of his mind as he looked to his left, and somehow, Percy knew it was trying to tell him to go that way.

 

_But why?_

 

There was something else, buried in his mind, and Percy reached for it desperately. He needed some connection to his life. He closed his eyes, evened his breath and tried to relax his mind as he reached for the memory.

 

_Annabeth._

 

He didn’t know what the name meant to him, but the warm feeling that washed over him let him know whoever she was, Annabeth was important to him.

 

Percy forced himself up, stumbling slightly as his legs screamed at him. It felt like he hadn’t walked in months. He forced himself past it, and off he went, following some instinct that was telling him where to go.

 

* * *

He walked for a long time, running into many monsters that he was only able to kill due some instinct, before he reached what he believed to be his destination.

 

He was in California, and he had come across ruins of a house. He collapsed, resting against a tree. Despite the fact that he was exhausted, his hand was firmly on his sword, ready to fight at a moment’s notice. Something told him this wasn’t the first time.

 

A wolf making her way down the stairs of the ruins had him up and alert, sword at the ready.

 

He was more than surprised when the wolf started talking to him.

 

“Percy Jackson, son of Neptune. You have come far, but it is now time to train. I will train you for one month, and if you live up to my standards, I will send you forth to your destiny. Conquer or die, Mr. Jackson.”

 

* * *

Percy trained furiously over the next month, and something told him it was harder than he had ever trained before. His reflexes were quicker, he had more muscles, and he had better control over his water powers. Lupa, the wolf, had told him due to who his father was, he was also an earth shaker, but he wouldn’t need those powers for then next stage of his life.

 

She had taught him her wolf stare, a stare that could strike fear into the hearts of even the fiercest of warriors. She told him that it would be very intimidating on him, due to the power he had.

 

Percy had lived up to her expectations, and once his month at the Wolf House was over, she sent him on his way. The last thing he heard as he left was her motto.

 

“Conquer or die.”

 

That phrase stuck with him as he followed his instinct, heading south. His time with the she-wolf were his only memories, except for the name, Annabeth.

 

He was fed up with the monsters on his tail, but knew that as a son of Neptune (something felt off about that name), monsters were more attracted to him than other demigods.

 

The snake ladies were getting old. He had killed them many times, but they always came back. He barely had time to eat, since he was constantly looking over his shoulder for them. He knew, for some reason, that they couldn’t kill him. They had tried, many times, but they couldn’t even leave a scratch on him.

 

He was very confused as to how that worked, but was thankful. It meant if he decided he needed thirty minutes of sleep, and they caught up to him, he would survive.

 

Percy was exhausted, but he knew he had to keep going. Lupa had promised he’d see Annabeth again, get his memories back, if he succeeded in his journey. That was what kept him going. San Fransisco was a beautiful city, and he knew, somehow, that he had been there before, that it meant something to Annabeth, but he couldn’t reach the memory.

 

He pushed onwards, and after a terrifying experience on the expressway, he made it to his destination. There was a door, two guards, weapons at the ready. He kept his hand on the sword, and approached.

 

* * *

_Part of him wanted to head west to the ocean. That’s where he’d be safest. That’s where his power would be greatest. Those Roman guards at the door made him uneasy. Something inside him said:_ This isn’t my territory. This is dangerous.

 

_…_

 

_“It isn’t a maintenance tunnel,” she confided. “It’s the entrance to camp.”_

 

_A jolt went up Percy’s spine. Camp. Yes, that’s where he was from. A camp. Maybe this was his home. Maybe Annabeth was close by._

 

_But something felt wrong._

 

_The gorgons were still on the roof of the apartment building. Then Stheno shrieked in delight and pointed in Percy’s direction._

 

_The old hippie lady raised her eyebrows. “Not much time, child. You need to make your choice.”_

 

_“Who are you?” Percy asked, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. The last thing he needed was another harmless mortal who turned out to be a monster._

 

_“Oh, you can call me June.” The old lady’s eyes sparkled as if she’d made an excellent joke. “It is June, isn’t it? They named the month after me!”_

 

_“Okay…Look, I should go. Two gorgons are coming. I don’t want them to hurt you.”_

 

_June clasped her hands over her heart. “How sweet! But that’s part of your choice!”_

 

_“My choice…” Percy glanced nervously toward the hill._

 

_…_

 

_“Yes, a choice,” June said, as if she were in no hurry. “You could leave me here at the mercy of the gorgons and go to the ocean. You’d make it there safely, I guarantee. The gorgons will be quite happy to attack me and let you go. In the sea, no monster would bother you. You could begin a new life, live to a ripe old age, and escape a great deal of pain and misery that is in your future.”_

 

_Percy was pretty sure he wasn’t going to like the second option. “Or?”_

 

_“Or you could do a good deed for an old lady,” she said. “Carry me to the camp with you.”_

 

_“Carry you?” Percy hoped she was kidding. Then June hiked up her skirts and showed him her swollen purple feet._

 

_“I can’t get there by myself,” she said. “Carry me to camp—across the highway, through the tunnel, across the river.”_

 

_Percy didn’t know what river she meant, but it didn’t sound easy. June looked pretty heavy._

_The gorgons were only fifty yards away now—leisurely gliding toward him as if they knew the hunt was almost over._

 

_Percy looked at the old lady. “And I’d carry you to this camp because—?”_

 

_“Because it’s a kindness!” she said. “And if you don’t, the gods will die, the world we know will perish, and everyone from your old life will be destroyed. Of course, you wouldn’t remember them, so I suppose it won’t matter. You’d be safe at the bottom of the sea.…”_

 

_Percy swallowed. The gorgons shrieked with laughter as they soared in for the kill._

 

_“If I go to the camp,” he said, “will I get my memory back?”_

 

_“Eventually,” June said. “But be warned, you will sacrifice much! You’ll lose the mark of Achilles. You’ll feel pain, misery, and loss beyond anything you’ve ever known. But you might have a chance to save your old friends and family, to reclaim your old life.”_

 

_The gorgons were circling right overhead. They were probably studying the old woman, trying to figure out who the new player was before they struck._

 

_“What about those guards at the door?” Percy asked._

 

_June smiled. “Oh, they’ll let you in, dear. You can trust those two. So, what do you say? Will you help a defenseless old woman?”_

 

_Percy doubted June was defenseless. At worst, this was a trap. At best, it was some kind of test._

_Percy hated tests. Since he’d lost his memory, his whole life was one big fill-in-the-blank. He was ____________________, from ____________________. He felt like ____________________, and if the monsters caught him, he’d be ____________________._

 

_Then he thought about Annabeth, the only part of his old life he was sure about. He had to find her._

 

_“I’ll carry you.” He scooped up the old woman._

 

_…_

 

_Frank cursed. “We have to get across the river.”_

 

_June squeezed Percy’s neck tighter. “Oh, yes, please. I can’t get my dress wet.”_

 

_Percy bit his tongue. If this lady was a goddess, she must’ve been the goddess of smelly, heavy, useless hippies. But he’d come this far. He’d better keep lugging her along._

 

It’s a kindness _, she’d said. And if you don’t, the gods will die, the world we know will perish, and everyone from your old life will be destroyed._

 

_If this was a test, he couldn’t afford to get an F._

 

_He stumbled a few times as they ran for the river. Frank and Hazel kept him on his feet._

 

_They reached the riverbank, and Percy stopped to catch his breath. The current was fast, but the river didn’t look deep. Only a stone’s throw across stood the gates of the fort._

 

_“Go, Hazel.” Frank nocked two arrows at once. “Escort Percy so the sentries don’t shoot him. It’s my turn to hold off the baddies.”_

 

_Hazel nodded and waded into the stream._

 

_Percy started to follow, but something made him hesitate. Usually he loved the water, but this river seemed…powerful, and not necessarily friendly._

 

_“The Little Tiber,” said June sympathetically. “It flows with the power of the original Tiber, river of the empire. This is your last chance to back out, child. The mark of Achilles is a Greek blessing. You can’t retain it if you cross into Roman territory. The Tiber will wash it away.”_

 

_Percy was too exhausted to understand all that, but he got the main point. “If I cross, I won’t have iron skin anymore?”_

 

_June smiled. “So what will it be? Safety, or a future of pain and possibility?”_

 

_Behind him, the gorgons screeched as they flew from the tunnel. Frank let his arrows fly._

 

_From the middle of the river, Hazel yelled, “Percy, come on!”_

 

_Up on the watchtowers, horns blew. The sentries shouted and swiveled their crossbows toward the gorgons._

 

Annabeth _, Percy thought. He forged into the river. It was icy cold, much swifter than he’d imagined, but that didn’t bother him. New strength surged through his limbs. His senses tingled like he’d been injected with caffeine. He reached the other side and put the old woman down as the camp’s gates opened. Dozens of kids in armor poured out._

 

_…_

 

_Hazel was the first to speak. “Juno.”_

 

_She and Frank also fell to their knees, leaving Percy the only one standing. He knew he should probably kneel too, but after carrying the old lady so far, he didn’t feel like showing her that much respect._

 

_“Juno, huh?” he said. “If I passed your test, can I have my memory and my life back?”_

 

_The goddess smiled. “In time, Percy Jackson, if you succeed here at camp. You’ve done well today, which is a good start. Perhaps there’s hope for you yet.”_

 

_She turned to the other kids. “Romans, I present to you the son of Neptune. For months he has been slumbering, but now he is awake. His fate is in your hands. The Feast of Fortune comes quickly, and Death must be unleashed if you are to stand any hope in the battle. Do not fail me!”_

_Juno shimmered and disappeared. Percy looked at Hazel and Frank for some kind of explanation, but they seemed just as confused as he was. Frank was holding something Percy hadn’t noticed before—two small clay flasks with cork stoppers, like potions, one in each hand._

 

_Percy had no idea where they’d come from, but he saw Frank slip them into his pockets. Frank gave him a look like:_ We’ll talk about it later.

 

_The girl in the purple cloak stepped forward. She examined Percy warily, and Percy couldn’t shake the feeling that she wanted to run him through with her dagger._

 

_“So,” she said coldly, “a son of Neptune, who comes to us with the blessing of Juno.”_

 

_“Look,” he said, “my memory’s a little fuzzy. Um, it’s gone, actually. Do I know you?”_

 

_The girl hesitated. “I am Reyna, praetor of the Twelfth Legion. And…no, I don’t know you.”_

 

_That last part was a lie. Percy could tell from her eyes. But he also understood that if he argued with her about it here, in front of her soldiers, she wouldn’t appreciate it._

 

_“Hazel,” said Reyna, “bring him inside. I want to question him at the_ principia _. Then we’ll send him to Octavian. We must consult the auguries before we decide what to do with him.”_

 

_“What do you mean,” Percy asked, “‘decide what to do with’ me?”_

 

_Reyna’s hand tightened on her dagger. Obviously she was not used to having her orders questioned. “Before we accept anyone into camp, we must interrogate them and read the auguries. Juno said your fate is in our hands. We have to know whether the goddess has brought us as a new recruit.…”_

 

_Reyna studied Percy as if she found that doubtful._

 

_“Or,” she said more hopefully, “if she’s brought us an enemy to kill.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter will have some Peter/Tony bonding, and Percy will go through the events of the Son of Neptune


	4. Nightmares and Found Families

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter starts bonding with Tony, and suffers from nightmares. Meanwhile, Percy is off to Alaska on a quest with Frank and Hazel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is my favorite chapter so far, so I hope you enjoy!

Peter sighed as he tapped his pencil against the desk.

 

It was nearing finals, and he knew he should be paying attention to his teacher, but his mind kept drifting. It was nearing the end of his sophomore year of high school, and he was ready to leave it all behind. Home-coming had been the worst of it, but it haunted him throughout the rest of the school year. It was a relief to only be neighborhood patrols, stopping bike thefts and giving directions.

 

He had been invited on small scale Avengers missions, and he had gone on a few. However, due to his fears of planes, rightfully earned, he kept to the ones close by. He followed the orders he was given, not wanting to have another incident like he had during the school dance.

 

He had gotten injured many times since then, but never as severe. None of these incidents left him with nightmares, which was a relief, since he already had too many from home-coming.

 

He was startled out of his thoughts by the screen of his phone lighting up with a message. Glancing around to ensure the teacher wasn’t looking at him, he unlocked it, pulling up the message.

 

**_Iron-Dad:_ ** _Hey, kid. I talked to your aunt, and if you don’t have too much school work to do tonight, you can spend the night at the compound and work with me in the lab. Happy will be there to pick you up._

 

Peter grinned. Over the past months, Mr. Stark had been inviting Peter over more often, even allowing him to work in his lab. It was nice, to have the inventor take such an interest him, and not just because he was Spider-man.

 

He quickly typed out a reply, before shoving the phone back in his bag before the teacher could notice.

 

**_Spider-Kid:_ ** _Hey, Mr. Stark! That would be really cool! I don’t have much to do tonight. I can’t wait!_

 

* * *

Peter chattered happily to Happy on the drive to the compound. He talked about MJ and how she was leading the decathlon team, about his classes and how they were reviewing for finals, and about his patrol last night.

 

“Thanks, Happy!” he called out as he ran out of the car, slinging his backpack on as he shut the door. He made his way to the compound, letting himself in. He smiled and waved at the security guard, who he had gotten to know.

 

He made his way to the back hallways that had the stairs and elevator that led to the more personal levels. These included the gym, the lab, the rooms for the Avengers and a common room for all of them.

 

“Hello, Mr. Parker,” FRIDAY’s voice welcomed him as he stepped into the elevator. “Would you like to go to the lab?”

 

“Yeah, thanks!” Peter bounced on his heels as the elevator began to move. He pulled out his phone, sending a text off to the group chat he had with Ned and MJ. Ever since MJ had found outthat Peter was Spider-man, the trio had gotten closer.

 

**_Spidey_ ** _: i’m here, guys! FRI is bringing me to the lab_

 

**_Meme-J:_ ** _you’re such a loser… have fun_

 

**_Ned-i master:_ ** _say hi to mr. stark for me! :D_

 

The elevator opened, and Peter stepped out, making his way to the lab. He pressed his palm against the scanner, and it beeped before the doors slid open for him.

 

“Hi, Mr. Stark!” he called out as he tossed his backpack onto a chair. “What are we working on today? The suits? Because I have some ideas!”

 

“We can work on whatever you want, kid. But stop calling me Mr. Stark. Makes me feel old.”

 

“Whatever you say, Mr. Stark,” Peter smiled, making his way over to his station. He pulled up the schematics for his suit, before turning back to his mentor. “I, uh, had some ideas for upgrades. I was thinking, waterproof webs?”

 

Tony sighed heavily at Peter’s first statement, but smiled upon hearing the second. “Sounds like a great idea, Pete. I’m assuming you’ve already started trying to find a formula?”

 

Peter’s cheeks flushed with excitement. “Yeah! I’ve been testing them at school. It’s kind of tricky, making sure my teacher doesn’t notice, but it works well enough for me. I mean, all the materials are there.”

 

“Tell you what,” Tony made his way over to his protege. “How about I talk to you aunt, ask her if you can come over after school every Friday. You can work in the lab, instead of hiding this stuff at school. And maybe, if your aunt is feeling generous, I can get her to agree to allowing you to stay over Friday night.”

 

Peter’s eyes widened. “Are you serious? Mr. Stark, that would be amazing!” He moved to throw his arms around the inventor, but paused, not sure if they were there yet.

 

Rolling his eyes, Tony reached his hand out slightly. “Ah, come here, kid. You earned it.”

 

Peter beamed, before wrapping his arms around the man, squeezing as he continued to talk. “Thank you thank you thank you!”

 

“Alright, that’s enough,” Tony smirked as he pushed the kid away. “Baby steps.”

 

Peter nodded, the smile still on his face.

 

“When we’re done down here, I’ll show you your room.”

 

“My room?”

 

“Yeah, kid. You think I’m just going to make you stay in a guest room? No, you have you own room here.”

 

Peter’s eyes were widened with awe. He couldn’t believe that his mentor had given him a room in the compound. Their relationship had been rocky at the start, but over time, they had gotten much closer, bonding over their time in the lab. It was nice for Peter to spend time with someone who enjoyed science as much as he did, someone who could look out for him. He only had May since Ben died, and even though Peter was hesitant at first, he wouldn’t trade his friendship with the billionaire for anything. He wasn’t ready to admit it to anyone but himself, but he was starting to see Mr. Stark as a father figure. He had lost two already, and hadn’t wanted to get attached, but it was too late now.

 

Peter tried to express his gratitude, but he kept stumbling over his words, leaving his cheeks flushed as he turned away to hide his face.

 

“Alright,” Mr. Stark interjected, taking pity on Peter. “Let’s get to work.”

 

* * *

The room was amazing.

 

After a dinner consisting of pizza and ice cream (“Don’t tell May I’m spoiling you”), and a movie (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back), Peter was shown his room.

 

The walls were painted a light shade of blue, and there were Star Wars and Star Trek posters on all four walls. In the corner, there was a desk, a laptop resting on it. A window lay between the desk and a bookshelf lined with books, overlooking the large lawn surrounding the compound. There was a shelf with five unopened Lego sets, along with a stack of movies. 

 

Mr. Stark grabbed a remote that was laying on the desk, pressing one of the buttons.

 

A flat screen came out of the wall, located in a place where Peter could watch from the bed if he wanted. The bed was bigger than Peter was used to, with a lot of pillows. Next to the bed was a night table, a lamp and an alarm clock sitting on it.

 

“And,” Mr. Stark announced. “Instead of having FRIDAY in your room, I thought it would be a better idea to have Karen programmed in your room.”

 

_“Hello, Peter,”_ Karen’s calming voice echoed through the room. _“Welcome.”_

 

Peter’s mouth dropped open in awe as he made his way around the room, running his hands over everything. “Hi, Karen!” he called out enthusiastically. Laughing slightly, he threw himself onto the bed, a hug smile spreading across his face.

 

Tony watched from the doorway, leaning against the frame. His eyes softened slightly as he watched the teenager explore the room. It was nice to have someone young around the compound, especially with the Rogue Avengers gone. It had been weird, getting used to all the empty space that should’ve been occupied by those who were gone. There were too many empty rooms, and he had to remind himself they were gone when he started heading to the common room on Friday nights for their weekly movie night.

 

But having Peter around made it easier to bear. Peter could often be found in the lab, working on his webs, or whatever other idea he came up with. If not in the lab, he would often be curled up, watching a movie, or swinging around the compound.

 

The two of them, sometimes joined by Happy, Pepper or Rhodey would have pizza and movie night once a week, and they easily settled into the new traditions.

 

 

* * *

There was one tradition, however, that Tony could do without. Or at least the part where FRIDAY would wake him up, or disrupt his time in the lab late at night, telling him that Peter was having a nightmare.

 

Whenever Tony would check in on him, Peter would be thrashing around in his bed, sweat running down his face as he called out. It was usually a nightmare about being trapped under the building again, but it could vary. Sometimes it was of him drowning, the Iron Man suit getting there too late, and sometimes it was about being killed by the plane as he was sucked into the engine. Other times it was seeing Ned or May die, or relieving his uncle’s death.

 

The billionaire had to be careful when approaching the teenager, as Peter would lash out if he was approached to quickly. Usually, Peter was good about keeping his strength under control, but Tony knew that in his panicked state, that it was better to approach the spiderling with caution.

 

That night was nothing different in that respect.

 

Tony sighed heavily as he looked into Peter’s room. It was unfair that someone so young suffered this much already, his whole superhero career still ahead of him.

 

Peter sat bolt upright as Tony’s foot made the floor creak, hands up in defense. The boy’s eyes were wild, darting around.

 

“Hey, Peter,” Tony stopped where he was, raising his hands, voice calm. “You’re okay. You’re in the Avengers compound. May is safe, Ned is safe. You’re safe.”

 

Peter’s breathing was heavy as he stared at his mentor, head tilted to the side. After a few moments, his breathing calmed, and he dropped his hands. He watched, silently, as Tony moved closer, before sitting on the edge of the bed.

 

“Want to talk about it, bud?” Tony asked, not expecting Peter to take him up on the offer. Peter usually shrugged it off, said he’d be okay, making Tony leave.

 

This time, though, was different. Peter nodded his head quickly, tears pooling at the corner of his eyes. He reached his hands out, hands making a grabbing motion, too upset to care about his actions. “Just want you to stay,” was all he could get out before his emotions became too much.

 

As soon as Tony moved closer, Peter grabbed his shirt, pulling him into a hug as he began to sob.

 

Tony awkwardly hugged the kid back, trying, and wanting, to comfort him. He made soothing noises at the back of his throat, running his hands through Peter’s hair. Taking note that it was only helping a little, he pushed aside his nerves, and began to sing.

 

The minute the first word came out of his mouth, Peter stilled, his sobs beginning to die down into hiccups.

 

Peter let his eyes shut, relaxing. 

 

It reminded him of how May would hold him, singing to him in Italian when he was upset. She hadn’t done it in awhile, mostly because Peter never admitted to her that he needed the comfort. Usually the times he needed it most was when his secret of being Spider-man was still unknown to her, so he couldn’t tell her what was upsetting him. It was different now, but Peter was still hesitant about it, because he didn’t want to worry her.

 

But right now, he let the comfort wrap around him like a blanket, wrapping him in a sense of security he hadn’t felt in awhile. He let his exhaustion overwhelm him, and Peter let himself fall asleep, one word making its way out of his mouth, to quiet for anyone to hear. “Dad.”

 

He didn’t hear when Tony gently shook him, calling out. “Kid?”

 

When Tony didn’t get any response, he pried Peter’s arms off of him, before tucking the teen back into bed. He turned the alarm off, as it was a Friday night, before fondly ruffling Peter’s hair. He quietly made his way out of the room, closing the door behind him.

 

“Good night, kid.”

 

* * *

Percy scowled up at the ceiling as he laid in bed. Mars had arrived at camp during that day’s war games, issuing a prophecy and calling for a quest. He was glad he was going, but only so he could make sure Hazel and Frank stayed safe. They were his friends, the only ones he could remember, and he would do whatever it took to keep the safe.

 

But he knew, somehow, that he had been on many quests before, and wasn’t looking forward to the danger part of it. He could only hope he remembered enough to keep them safe.

 

Hazel and Frank were great people, and the three of them stuck side by side throughout the quest, except for when they met the Amazons. They locked Frank and Percy up, keeping Hazel free. 

 

It was thanks to the daughter of Pluto’s bond with Arion, and the fact that Percy could talk to horses, that they were able to escape, and make their way to their destination.

 

Falling off the iceberg was terrifying to Percy. He had no idea what was going on with his friends, or if they were alive or not. The height was nothing, not after the St. Louis arch. But it was something else. Percy was terrified of suffocating, drowning, even though he was in his element. His trip into the bog had shook him to his foundations.

 

His memories were coming back, too. Seeing Annabeth in his dream had made him even more desperate to see his friends again, and he didn’t want to die in Alaska before then.

 

And before he knew it, they were back at camp, with the Eagle and his memories, fighting side by side with the Amazons, their queen coming to fight at her sister’s side. The surge of confidence he felt as he raised the Eagle, the electricity coming out of it destroying monsters, gave him the confidence to face the giant. The smile on Reyna’s face only strengthened the feeling, and he fought the giant, defeating him with the help of Terminus. Then he was raised on a shield, raising his status to praetor as everyone, even Reyna who had once been wary of him, started cheering. The following feast of Fortuna was a time to celebrate that they had won, to praise the hard work of everyone, and to allow everyone to be equal, no matter what cohort they were part of.

 

He received his legion tattoo that day, and despite the pain, he couldn’t have been more proud to be part of New Rome. He spent the rest of the day mingling with everyone, all of them showering him with compliments and congratulations.

 

When he got too tired, he retired for the night, hopeful that all the activity would be done for they night. And then he started to dream. Percy’s dream that night was one he didn’t think he would forget anytime soon. Juno paid him a visit, after all.

 

_“Your timing here was perfect. They trust you now. You are a hero of Rome. And while you slept, Jason Grace has learned to trust the Greeks. They’ve had time to build the Argo II. Together, you and Jason will unite the camps.”_

 

_“Why me?” Percy demanded. “You and I never got along. Why would you want a loose cannon on your team?”_

 

_“Because I know you, Percy Jackson. In many ways, you are impulsive, but when it comes to your friends, you are as constant as a compass needle. You are unswervingly loyal, and you inspire loyalty. You are the glue that will unite the seven.”_

 

“No pressure or anything,” was the first thing he mumbled when he woke up, before meeting Hazel and Frank for breakfast, before going to the senate. He reassured the two Romans that he wanted them by his side during the Prophecy of the Seven, and for a moment, everything was okay. The three of them were alive, and together. Percy hoped it stayed that way, but when they got the letter from Leo, who looked suspiciously like Sammy Valdez, the son of the sea knew they were in for a ride.

 

They then made their way to the senate. Percy was sitting in a room, Reyna at his side as they argued with Octavian. Tyson, Percy’s brother, was there, and it brought him a sense of comfort.

 

They came to the agreement to let the Greeks, and Jason, talk, to not shoot on sight. Percy swore on his life that they wouldn’t cause harm, and that if they did, he would fight side by side with the Romans, against those from his home, the ones who knew him. Because Camp Jupiter had taken him in when he had no memories, and trusted him enough to raise him on a shield. They deserved, and earned, his loyalty. They were his family.

 

He stood with Frank and Hazel as the Argo II came into view.

 

_“They’re coming down right in the forum,” Frank said nervously. “Terminus is going to have a heart attack.”_

 

_“Percy,” Hazel said, “you swore on your life. Romans take that seriously. If anything goes wrong, even by accident, Octavian is going to kill you. You know that, right?”_

 

_Percy smiled. He knew the stakes were high. He knew this day could go horribly wrong. But he also knew that Annabeth was on that ship. If things went right, this would be the best day of his life._

 

_He threw one arm around Hazel and one arm around Frank._

 

_“Come on,” he said. “Let me introduce you to my other family.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i liked writing this chapter, especially picking the contact names for all the characters (which will make a reappearance later on in this series, along with some new ones.) I've seen many tags of MJ being a meme, and I agree, so that's where her name came from. I think Peter and Tony's are self explanatory, and Ned's is a play on "Jedi master."
> 
> the next chapter will be more sad than the past ones, because they will be about both the aftermath of Infinity War and the Second Great Prophecy. But there may be another meeting between the two boys.
> 
> (I will take liberties on who survives, and who dies, because I need certain characters alive later on. So your faves might (probably) survive!)


	5. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Percy deal with the aftermath of their respective wars, and meet each other again.

**May**

 

The building started to shake, and almost immediately, Peter grabbed his phone, seeing a text from Tony.

 

The war was starting.

 

Peter glanced around his classroom, seeing the panic begin to settle in his classmate’s faces. Ned and MJ glanced over at him, and they had a silent conversation, before MJ raised her hand.

 

“Shouldn’t we check the news?”

 

It was policy to check the news when something like this happened, especially after the battle the Avengers had in New York years ago. Once the cause was determined, they could act.

 

Everyone in the room whipped out their phones, the only sound in the room was the echoing of fingers tapping across their screens. They were all pulling up different news sources, trying to be the first one to share what was happening.

 

“It’s an invasion!” someone called out. “All the heroes have been called into battle, even those that aren’t Avengers.”

 

The weight of that news fell heavily into the silence. If it was bad enough that the Avengers needed back up…

 

The PA system crackled as it turned on. “We have been instructed to evacuate the building and get to safety. All schools have been closed until the threat is neutralized. I repeat, evacuate the building.”

 

That was all Peter needed to hear as he grabbed his backpack, managing to run out of the room before he was trampled by his classmates. He ran, pushing past other students. As soon as he was out of the building, he ducked into an alley, and put on his uniform. Webbing his bag to a wall to come back to if everything went well, he took a deep breath, before shooting a web at the nearest building, beginning to swing towards the compound where he would be meeting some of the team.

 

They hadn’t all returned, but for this fight, they were all on the same side again. They knew Thanos wouldn’t stick to New York, so they spread out, bringing allies with them.

 

It was only Peter, Tony, Rhodes and Vision at the compound, but the rest were up on monitors. Even though Peter was firmly on Tony’s side of things, it awed him to see the other heroes, ready to fight alongside him.

 

He listened, full attention on Tony and Captain America as they laid out the plan. It surprised Peter how easily they were able to create a plan together so effortlessly after everything that happened. All it took was one glance, and the other knew what they were saying.

 

After the mission plan was laid out, all the superheroes looked at each other in silence, knowing that his could be their last mission together. It was a war, and none of them were going to kid themselves into thinking they would all survive.

 

Natasha nodded at all of them, Clint forced a smile, and Rhodes saluted. And then it was time.

 

* * *

Going into space was something Peter never thought would happen to him. But there he was, in his Iron-Spider suit, in a spaceship, with the space version of the Avengers.

 

They called themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy, and they had come to their aide to defeat Thanos. It was awkward to hear that two of those on the ship were the daughters of Thanos, but they agreed that their father had gone too far, and that he must be stopped.

 

Peter couldn’t keep the awe out of his voice when talking to Peter Quill or Gamora, or the curiosity out of his voice when talking about Groot or Rocket.

 

His awe only continued to grow when superhero after superhero joined the fight. It didn’t matter their loyalties during the Avengers civil war. Right now, there was something bigger than all of them.

 

It was an experience he wouldn’t forget, but his mind couldn’t help but stray to his friends and May, hoping that they were safe. The best he could do to ensure their safety was fight against Thanos army, so that’s what he would do. Every person that he had met flashed before his eyes, and he hoped they all survived. The kid who loaned him a pencil when they were ten, the lunch lady when he was seven, the police officers, even the guy (Percy?) who helped him find Ned and MJ in central park, and his girlfriend. He wondered what all those people were up to at that moment, and how they were handling it.

 

People were going to die. There was no point denying it. Peter just hoped it wasn’t too many.

 

He didn’t escape the battle unscathed, but that wasn’t a surprise.

 

Peter had been on the battlefield, fighting close to where Gamora, the green lady who was one of Thanos’ daughters, and Black Widow were fighting back to back, taking down enemies like it was nothing. They fought like they had been doing it for years, in sync with each other. Nearby, Hawkeye was shooting arrows, Rocket and Groot next to him.

 

Glancing around, Peter spotted Captain America and Iron-Man were fighting side by side, putting their disagreement out of their minds for the moment, Wanda keeping them safe.

 

The rest of their allies were scattered across the battlefield, some fighting enemies, the others trying to evacuate the civilians that were still around.

 

Taking the opportunity after he defeated all nearby enemies, Peter swung over to help Gamora and Natasha, taking out a few enemies. He fought with them until his spider-sense acted up. Glancing around, his eyes widened in fear when he saw what was about to happen. Peter rushed towards Iron Man and Captain America, going as fast as he could. He swung himself into the air, flying past Steve Rogers to protect Iron Man from the alien weapon. After all, inside the suit, Tony was just a normal person. Peter was enhanced, and could take more.

 

Peter squeezed his eyes shut as pain wracked through his body, causing his back to arch as he was suspended in mid-air. He could hear Tony saying something, before his vision went black and he dropped to the ground.

 

He came to less than a minute later when Thanos grabbed him, slamming him against the ground, time and time again. Peter’s breath started to become uneven, as the situation hit him. It was too similar to when he fought Toomes on the beach. He remembered the Vulture’s suit piercing his as his face was whacked against the sand, fire in the air around them.

 

_Peter,_ Karen’s voice broke through his panic. _You need to calm your breathing. Breathe in four, hold for seven, and breathe out for eight._

 

His eyes still closed and body still in pain, Peter listened to his AI, and was relieved when he was able to get his breathing under control. It was only one thing, but it made him feel more in control.

 

And then the pain stopped for a minute, and Peter realized he was now lying on the ground. He turned his head slowly, wincing as his neck screamed at him. Helplessly, he watched as Tony fired his blasters at Thanos continuously for two minutes, Steve’s shield being whammed into the villain’s face.

 

Steve nodded at Tony, before the billionaire stepped out of his suit, leaving it behind to help the Captain.

 

Peter tried to call out, to tell Tony it wasn’t safe to be out of the suit, to yell at him to get back in it, but he couldn’t bring himself to even move his head much more than he already had. Instead, he settled for watching as Tony approached him, worry on his face.

 

Tony knelt down besides Peter, gently tugging the bottom of his mask up so his mouth and nose were free.

 

Peter’s breath came out heavily, uneven, as he was able to breathe in without any restriction. He let his eyes close as he felt Tony’s hand grab his, holding it close to his body. Peter froze as he heard Tony begin to sniffle, almost like he was crying.

 

Peter couldn’t see ow bad his injuries were, and hadn’t wanted to ask Karen, but if Tony was reacting the way he was, it had to be bad.

 

But all that mattered to the teen was that Tony was alive.

 

* * *

The aftermath of the battle was horrendous.

 

Peter wasn’t able to see the battlefield, but he could hear all the commotion in the hospital wing. His enhanced senses let him go through his mental check list, trying to figure out who was still alive.

 

He heard Clint, his kids crying out when they saw him, battered and bruised, but still alive. He could hear Natasha cursing in Russian, Gamora nearby, talking to someone whose voice he couldn’t identify.

 

Peter strained to hear Tony’s voice, but it was no where nearby. Groaning, Peter forced himself to sit up, muscles aching at the effort. He looked around the room he was in, taking in all the balloons and baskets on the tables and floors, from the citizens of New York thanking their local hero for everything he had done for them.

 

None of that mattered to Peter, though. He just wanted to see his family. He needed to know if May was alive, if Ned and MJ made it through the battle, if Tony was ever going to come back. Looking over at the digital clock that also had the date, Peter realized that he had to have been out for days, since he remembered the date he took the blast for Iron Man, two weeks into the fight.

 

His eyes widened, and he fumbled around in the nearby drawer, breathing a sigh of relief when he found his phone, scratched up, the screen cracked, but still working.

 

There were many texts from Ned and MJ, the most recent ones dating earlier that morning, asking if he was okay, each one growing in panic. Peter nearly cried in relief when it hit that his friends were still alive, and, fingers shaking, he typed out a message into the group chat that he had with both of them.

 

**_Spidey:_ ** _I’m okay, just woke up. I’m just so glad to see you guys are okay!!_

 

Almost immediately, he got responses.

 

**_Ned-i master:_ ** _Peter! i’m glad ur okay!! how’s everyone else??_

 

**_Meme-J:_ ** _yeah, loser, we’re both still here. your aunt wants you to know she’s on her way. she was checking in on us._

 

Peter didn’t have the heart to tell Ned who he knew hadn’t made it through the battle. He had seen people fall, and wasn’t ready to relive it. They had so many allies, and even though they won, there was no bringing them back.

 

Upon hearing his aunt was alive, Peter let himself cry, thankful that he hadn’t lost her. She had been there through everything, and he didn’t know how he could manage this without her.

 

* * *

Peter looked at himself in the mirror, taking in his ragged appearance.

 

It was the day of the funeral the heroes were holding for their allies that had fallen in battle. There were too many dead, too many still missing, but they needed the closure.

 

Peter had been cleared from the hospital the day previous, and was still taking it easy. He had been spending his time with his friends and May, comforting each other when news of who died was announced.

 

The decathlon team lost a couple members, the school lost some of their faculty. Classmates lost their lives saving others, leaving some families without children. There were too many orphans, but anyone who could were opening their doors and their hearts for those who had no one left.

 

MJ was one of those. Her parents had been killed in the battle evacuating citizens from the city, and her brother was MIA. May had taken her in, not wanting her nephew’s friend alone. She had also opened their apartment to Ned’s family, as their building had been destroyed.

 

Everything was so surreal, and not everything had sunk in yet.

 

But here he was, on his way to a funeral for those who gave their lives fighting Thanos, those he saw die, those he fought with and for.

 

Vision, Wanda, Drax, Sam Wilson and Nebula were among those who had died. They had fought hard, and gave it their all, giving their lives to keep others alive. Nebula herself had died at the hands of her father, screaming at him for what he did to her, Gamora at her side when she took her last breath.

 

It hurt, listening to family and friends stand up and say something about them. Peter didn’t know them all very well, but they had died, and he had lived.

 

It only added to the pain knowing that Tony was one of the heroes still missing, having not been seen since he wielded the infinity gauntlet. Steve had been one of the last ones to see him, and he too, was nowhere to be found.

 

Peter’s heart was heavy as he watched the ceremony, tears gathering in his eyes.

 

This was a day that would always weigh heavily on him as long as he lived.

 

* * *

**August**

 

The day the battle ended, everyone was in high spirits. They knew many people, _kids,_ had been lost, but it was a day to celebrate Gaea had been put back into eternal slumber, and that there were survivors.

 

The camp was destroyed, but loud voices echoed across the space as demigods mixed, Greeks and Romans, demigods of different parents, all sitting at the same tables.

 

Percy stayed away from most of them, hands stuffed in his pockets. It reminded him too much of the aftermath of the first Great Prophecy, only this time, there were more people he cared about that had died. The Romans had become his family, so their deaths were harder on him than many. 

 

He watched the rest of his friends find each other, tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces. A small smile tugged on the corner of his as he watched them find solace in each other. But it fell when the news of who had died started spreading, and the demigods started breaking down.

 

Annabeth found him at the lake. He was sitting at the edge, feet in the water as he watched the waves crash against the beach, responding to his emotions.

 

“Hey,” she whispered as she sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

 

Percy was quiet for a minute, before muttering back a greeting. “Why aren’t you with the others?”

 

“It’s too similar to last summer,” Annabeth admitted. “We haven’t had enough time to recover from last year before we were flung into this prophecy. Too much has happened, and I can’t be there right now.”

 

“Why is it always us, Annabeth?” Percy asked, his voice heartbreaking. “Haven’t we done enough, lost enough? Yet the weight of the world rests on our decisions. I mean, yeah, others too, but these last two Great Prophecies have been partly ours. I just want a break from this life for awhile, to finally heal.”

 

Annabeth sighed heavily as Percy’s arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. She knew they had a lot to heal from. They never really got a break between all the prophecies, and she hoped this time they could. But first they had to burn shrouds, rebuild the camps.

 

The two demigods sat together in silence, holding on to the fact that they still had each other. They watched the sun begin to sink, before they knew they had to return.

 

It was time to burn shrouds.

 

* * *

It reminded Annabeth too much of the summer where she had to burn Percy’s burial shroud, the sea green silk that matched his eyes, embroidered with a trident, going up in flames. True, Percy had appeared soon after, but those moments she would always remember.

 

She was shocked out of her memories by Percy’s hand squeezing hers, and she knew he knew what she was thinking about. She leaned against him, and they watched as shrouds were burned, listening to the speeches by loved ones.

 

Percy’s heart grew heavier with each name added to the list, with each shroud burned and each speech shared. He was one of the few who hurt from both the Romans and Greeks deaths, as many were only friends with those at their camp.

 

His grip on Annabeth’s hand tightened when a name of someone he was close to was said, but she just let him, not saying anything.

 

Percy was thankful for her. She had been at his side for all his demigod adventures, and no one understood him better.

 

It was nearly three hours later, the sky dark, shining with stars, when the last shroud was buried. There were still going to be more later, when they found those who were MIA. For now, all the demigods that hadn’t been severely injured were being required to be checked out at the infirmary, where the children of Apollo were working overtime.

 

Percy was one of those demigods. He knew he would never be able to escape a battle unscathed. He was lucky he hadn’t been more severely injured. He was covered in scrapes and bruises, but that was nothing new. Yeah, he had sprains and strains, too, but he just wanted to be cleared. He wanted to try and get a few hours of sleep, so as not to worry anyone, even though he knew the nightmares would come. They always did.

 

And then, the next day, he was going back to Manhattan. He had to see his mom, see Paul, let them know he was alive. It had been way too long since he had last seen them, and Chiron understood, clearing the demigod for the weekend to be with his family.

 

Percy had wanted to go immediately, but he knew he had to help clean up enough for demigods to have a place to sleep, and needed to be there for the burning of the shrouds. They had died for the safety of the world. It was the least he could do.

 

* * *

He staggered up the stairs, exhausted. It had been months, nearly three-quarters of a year, since he ascended these stairs, since he’d been home.

 

As soon as he woke up that morning, the Savior of Olympus had left the safety of camp, not likely to be attacked after Gaea had been defeated and monsters sent to Tartarus, and entered the mortal world. Percy grabbed a taxi, his leg bouncing up and down, his fingers tapping out a rhythm on his leg the whole time.

 

Getting out of the taxi, he paused in front of the building, nervous. He almost wished he had taken up Annabeth’s offer of joining him, but this was his moment, with his family. The moment he returned home. Alive.

 

As he reached the door, he slowed down. Coming to a stop in front of the door, he took in a deep breath. Then he knocked.

 

On the other side of the door, he heard a familiar voice call out. “I’ll be right there!”

 

Then the door flung open.

 

There, in front of Percy, was his mother. The woman who raised him, who had been there for him through everything. Through the years of his life when he had no friends, through their years with Gabe, through the loss of his friends. She always put him first, letting him know she loved him more than anything.

 

She was the most important thing in his life.

 

“Percy! Oh, my baby!” Sally called out as she hugged her son for the first time in months, both of them with tears in their eyes. They fell to the ground, clutching onto each other like they were each other’s life lines. It had been too long.

 

Paul came out then. “Honey, who’s at the—” He stopped when he saw his stepson, in tears as he hung onto his mother. Paul’s eyes softened at the sight. Sally had been worried and stressed since the moment Percy disappeared, only easing up slightly when they got the phone call from Percy about a month ago. It hurt him to see her in so much pain, but he couldn’t blame her. Percy was her child; it was only natural. They had been through a lot together, and their love was strong. Paul himself had been worried. Though Percy wasn’t his biological son, he cared about him as if he was.

 

He let them cry for a few moments before speaking up. “Why not invite him in? There’s a lot to catch up on.”

 

* * *

Percy sniffled as he curled up into his mother’s side, letting his eyes close slightly as the warmth and security his mother always radiated washed over him. He felt her fingers comb through his hair, murmuring comforting phrases to him.

 

She had always known how to make him feel better, and he needed it more than ever.

 

Sally pulled him closer, singing the lullaby she sung to him as a kid to him. She was relieved to feel him relax, his breathing evening out as he fell asleep.

 

She knew he needed a few hours of sleep without nightmares, and she was determined to make sure he got it.

 

She stayed at his side as he slept, only waking him up when it neared dinner time. She was pleased that throughout the past couple hours he hadn’t been woken up with nightmares. She knew her son, and knew he wouldn’t have slept this well in who-knows-how-long.

 

Once he woke up, eyes still clouded by sleep, she gently removed herself from his grip, promising to return in a moment.

 

She returned a few moments later, carrying a blue cake, the numbers one and seven present in the form of candles. “Happy birthday, sweetheart,” she kissed his forehead as she placed the cake on the coffee table. She had hoped he’d be back soon (call it mother’s intuition), and baked him a cake for his return. And now,here he was, safe and at home. “I’m glad you’re home.”

 

He smiled up at her, eyes sparkling like they did when he was a young boy. “I’m glad I’m home, too.”

 

* * *

**September**

 

Percy sighed, wrapping his arms around his legs. He stared blankly at the laughing people, wishing he could be in their place.

 

Seventeen was far too young to have survived two wars and countless battles. He had seen too many friends fall in battle, their whole lives ahead of them. Demigods were young, those who had fought in the wars as young as twelve and as old as eighteen. He himself had only been seventeen for a month, and he had already spent five years in the demigod world. He had been thrown into it far too young, growing up too quickly. They all had.

 

Percy just hoped they could catch a break as they rebuilt their camps and mourned the fallen. They hadn’t gotten that after the past battles, but hopefully, this time could be different.

 

New York was still recovering from the so-called Infinity War that had taken place back in May, reflecting the damage the demigods were facing at a much larger scale.

 

Most of Central Park was still relatively intact, so that’s where Percy was. After Tartarus, he needed to be in places where he could see the sky, breathe fresh air.

 

He watched passerbyers warily, ready to draw Riptide if needed.

 

Percy almost uncapped the pen as someone approached him, but paused as he realized he recognized him.

 

“Peter?”

 

“Hey,” Peter waved, a small smile on his face. “Sorry if I’m bothering you. But I needed to get away from all these people, and I recognized you, so—”

 

“Hey, it’s cool,” Percy smiled, nodding at the place besides him. “Sit.”

 

Peter took the offer, sitting down next to his acquaintance. He curled up, brining his feet towards his body, head resting against the tree trunk.

 

The two say in silence for a few minutes, before Percy broke it.

 

“How’s your year been?”

 

Peter was startled out of his thoughts, a frown appearing on his face. The two hadn’t seen each other in a year, and it only seemed fair to get to know each other. However, Peter was recovering from one of the roughest years of his life. “Could’ve been better,” he shrugged.

 

“I know the feeling,” Percy laughed humorlessly. “This past year was pretty crappy.”

 

“I lost people during the Infinity War,” Peter admitted, feeling as if Percy could understand what it felt like to loose so many people at a young age. “Some I was close to, others not as much. But it still hurt. And someone I cared about was MIA for a long time. It was a relief when he came back.” The day Tony returned was engrained in Peter’s mind.

 

“I lost people, too,” Percy fiddled with the edge of his shirt. “Not like it’s anything new,” he muttered under his breath. “It sucks. They were all too young. Had their whole lives ahead of them. Not during the Infinity War, though,” Percy clarified. “Something that happened about a month ago. This past year has left with me with enough material for nightmares for years.”

 

“You and me both,” Peter nodded his head as they settled into silence.

 

Neither of them knew the other very well, but there was something comforting, albeit kind of morbid, in the fact that they could find a sort of solace in someone their age who understood the pain and loss they had felt. It was nice for Percy to talk about it to someone who hadn’t lived through it, but understood, and it was nice for Peter to have someone his age to talk to. Sure, the superheroes understood loss, but they weren’t his age.

 

Who would’ve thought someone they met randomly in Central Park shortly before everything went downhill would bring this kind of solace?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is the longest chapter yet, and I enjoyed writing it, despite having to write about character deaths. I hope this helped give some insight into each character. Next chapter will have healing, and the boys starting therapy.
> 
> I know this isn't how Peter finds out about the war (Infinity War trailer shows him on the bus when he notices what's going on), but this is how I needed it to be. Also, I knew I needed to kill someone off, and I just couldn't do that to May, so that's why MJ lost her parents. More on her in the next chapter.


	6. New Friends and Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter adjusts to some changes in his life, and the two boys begin the process of healing through therapy.

**June**

 

Peter had settled into the new routine around his home with MJ and Ned’s family that were camping out with him and his aunt.

 

He and Ned stayed in his room, each claiming one of the bunks. MJ was in with May, and Ned’s parents were on the fold out couch. It had taken about a week to get used to each other’s schedules, but now they were used to it.

 

The adults went to work, helping to clean up the mess and treat those who had been injured. The three teens helped clean up the school, comforting each other and their classmates.

 

Everyone pitched in, preferring to work rather than focus on what had been lost.

 

It took awhile, but everyone figured that by the time fall came around, schools would be open and businesses could restart. The summer was meant for healing and rebuilding.

 

**September**

 

Peter sighed as he rolled over in bed. It was weird, not having Ned around as much anymore. He and his parents moved out a week ago, their building repaired and their apartment ready. MJ was still with the Parkers, and May was working on trying to become the girl’s legal guardian.

 

MJ may not say it, but Peter knew she was grateful for everything May was doing for her. It had been hard for her to loose all her family. The Parkers were there at the funeral for her parents, and they were using all their resources (including Stark technology) to find out if her brother was still alive.

 

Since MJ was still a minor, the state government would place her in a foster home until she turned eighteen, unless she found a legal guardian. May didn’t want the girl to be away from the people she knew, so it was no surprise when she stepped up.

 

It had been weird, at first, for Peter to have her living with him. Now, though, he was used to it. It was nice to have someone else around, despite MJ’s fluent sarcasm.

 

Both teens would spend nights at the compound when May had to work the night shift, Tony quickly preparing a room for the girl nearby to Peter’s.

 

They were all recovering, but spending time with each other, really getting to know each other, was a step in the right direction. It made it easier for them to have people around that understood. However, Peter’s trauma ran deeper than MJ’s, and each night he suffered from nightmares. The bags under his eyes got bigger and bigger, and the amount of sleep he got reduced each night.

 

Tony was worried about the kid. The billionaire knew firsthand what grief like that could do to someone. Tony had spent many years holding things in, not talking to anyone about his nightmares, dealing with it on his own. And looked how he turned out.

 

He didn’t want Peter to go down the same path, so he started looking into finding a therapist for the kid. He had one on call who was a superhero specialist. Her client base was wider than just heroes, civilians going to her as well, but it could give Peter more freedom to talk about everything that happened to him over the past year.

 

He called her, setting up an appointment for that weekend, making sure she would sign a NDA to keep Peter’s identity a secret. Now all that was left was convincing the kid.

 

* * *

Percy fidgeted as he sat in the waiting room. His mother had scheduled him for a therapy session, wanting him to have someone else to talk to. Chiron had given them a name for a therapist that was a legacy of Apollo. She had a wide cliental base, and because she knew about the demigod world, it wasn’t unusual for her to help demigods through the violence they had experienced.

 

It was his first meeting with Dr. Sterling, and he was both on edge, and relieved. It was a strange mix of emotions that churned in his stomach as he watched the clock hands tick towards four o’clock.

 

At four, a blonde woman dressed in a skirt and sweater appeared, saying goodbye to her client, before calling out Percy’s name.

 

The other client echoed his name as he turned, surprised to see the black haired boy.

 

“Peter?” Percy responded incredulously.

 

“I take it you two know each other?” the woman asked.

 

“Kind of,” Peter shrugged, leaving it at that. He looked curiously over at Percy, but wasn’t too surprised to see him after their last meeting.

 

“I’ll give you two a minute while I grab Mr. Jackson’s file,” Dr. Sterling smiled, before ducking into the main office.

 

The two boys looked awkwardly at each other, before Peter voiced a question. “Since we keep running into each other, do you want to grab coffee or dinner or something after you’re done?”

 

Percy hesitated for a moment, before smiling. “Sure, why not? I’ve got nothing planned for tonight. Um… meet you in front of the library in about an hour?” The library in question was a few buildings down, and would be an easy place to meet up.

 

“Sounds good,” Peter smiled back, bouncing on his feet. “I’ll see you then.”

 

Percy waved as the younger boy made his way out of the office, putting his earbuds in.

 

“Okay, Mr. Jackson,” Dr. Sterling returned. “Please come in.”

 

* * *

It wasn’t as bad as he thought it was going to be. Dr. Sterling had been briefed by Chiron and one of the old praetors of Camp Jupiter about the past wars, so she was able to understand what Percy was talking about.

 

She started off asking him basic questions, such as where he was going to school, about his family and friends. She slowly eased into the harder topics, and while Percy didn’t want to open up at first, he was able to divulge enough that the session was helpful.

 

With the promise of another appointment the following week at the same time, he left, making his way toward the library.

 

He knew therapy would help him in the long run, and he liked Dr. Sterling. But he had a hard time opening up, not wanting to put his worries on anyone else. Also, therapy could only do so much to help with his nightmares, flashbacks, PTSD and panic attacks. Maybe he’d talk about that with Dr. Stirling next week.

 

Pushing his thoughts aside, he made his way to the library, waving at Peter as he approached.

 

Peter stood up, walking over to meet Percy. “Where to?”

 

“There’s a nice cafe nearby,” Percy shrugged, running his fingers over the beads on his necklace.

 

“Lead the way, then,” Peter waved his hand, resting his headphones around his neck.

 

They made small talk as they walked towards the cafe Percy knew about, as one of the friends he had at school’s mother worked there. The cafe had a few outdoor tables, a blue and white awning adding to the look.

 

Percy smiled as he noticed Antonia’s mother. “Hi, Mrs. Cooper!”

 

“Hi, Percy,” she smiled back warmly. “The usual?”

 

“That would be wonderful,” Percy responded, before turning to introduce Peter. “This is Peter. He’s a friend.”

 

“Welcome, Peter,” Mrs. Cooper waved, before grabbing a plate. “Would you like to see a menu?”

 

“I’ll get what Percy’s getting,” Peter responded. “He seems to know this place well, and I trust his taste.”

 

“He’s around here a lot,” Mrs. Cooper teased. “Percy is friends with my daughter, Antonia. They’re both captains of the swim teams at their school. He’s one of the best swimmers I’ve ever seen,” she praised him.

 

Percy ducked his head as his cheeks flushed. “Thanks, Mrs. Cooper.” She was a kind woman, and had taken a liking to him. He and Antonia were close friends, her being his best friend not involved in the mythological world at all. Rachel was his best mortal friend, but she too was involved in the demigod world since she was the Oracle. While he liked having someone who could understand both sides of his life, it was nice to be friends with Antonia, because he could be a normal teenager around her.

 

“I’ll let your mother know you’re here,” Mrs. Cooper aimed her comment at Percy as she headed towards the back to get their food.

 

“Thanks,” Percy responded, before heading to his usual table in the corner.

 

Peter followed him, sitting down across from his new friend.

 

As they waited for their food, they asked each other basic questions, getting to know each other better.

 

“I’m a junior in high school, but I skipped a year back in grade school, so I’m one of the younger ones,” Peter responded to the question Percy asked. “I go to Midtown Tech.”

 

“A genius, huh?” Percy smiled, eyes sparkling. “You’d get along with my girlfriend, Annabeth. She’s a genius, too. Me, I have a hard enough time with my ADHD and dyslexia. But I get by. I’m in my last year of high school. You already heard I’m on the swim team. You do any after school activities?”

 

“Academic decathlon,” Peter shrugged. “I used to do band and robotics club as well, but I’ve been busy recently.”

 

“Yeah, Annabeth would definitely like you,” Percy grinned. “I’ll have to introduce you two sometime.”

 

They paused their conversation as they thanked Mrs. Cooper when she placed their food in front of them, along with one of the house-made sodas.

 

“Blue?” Peter raised an eyebrow, looking at the drink.

 

“Yeah,” Percy looked sheepish. “It’s an inside thing with my mom. It started back when I was young, when we were still stuck with my first step-father. It was our little way of rebelling. But try it. Trust me, it’s amazing.”

 

Peter hesitantly took a sip, eyes widening as he did. “It’s actually really good.”

 

“Right?” Percy grinned. “Blue stuff is the best.”

 

They fell into easy conversation, talking about their friends and their interests as they ate their food, pushing aside their negative memories. It was nice to sit with someone that didn’t have a preconceived idea of who they were, who saw them as a hero. With each other, they were just teenagers.

 

It was two hours later when they walked out of the cafe, both feeling lighter. Before leaving, they agreed to hangout after therapy each week. Therapy was emotionally draining, so it was nice to spend some time afterwards with someone and just be teenagers without the weight of the world on their shoulders.

 

After waving goodbye, Percy headed left, while Peter took a seat in front of the cafe, waiting for Happy to pick him up, as it was Friday night, the night he spent at the compound.

 

As he settled in to wait the ten minutes, Peter smiled. Maybe this healing thing wouldn’t be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case it wasn't clear, Dr. Sterling is a descendant of Apollo, but also helps superheroes, since her connection to the demigod world allows her to understand more than just mortal struggles. She does have mortal clients, and that means no one can tell who's a hero, who's a demigod, and who's mortal.
> 
> The boys are going to start getting to know each other better in the next chapters, and both will find some down time to spend with their friends.
> 
> I have a few ideas I've been tossing around that I may or may not include. This includes: giving Peter a significant other, having a crossover couple (one person from HOCO and one from PJO), and, while/after healing from Civil War and coming to terms with that, having at least a hint (possibly more) of Tony/Steve. If you have opinions on these ideas, or ideas for couples, feel free to let me know!
> 
> Otherwise, look forward to the next chapter. It'll be up within a few days!


	7. Of Relaxing Weekends and Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy and Peter get closer, and each send a relaxing and much deserved weekend with their friends/family being the teenagers they should be.

Percy snorted as Peter recalled a story where one of his friends crawled around in the vents, scaring unsuspecting people.

 

Peter smiled as he recounted how Clint had freaked out almost everyone, save for Natasha, who was impossible to scare. He didn’t name names, but it was nice to tell these stories.

 

“Sounds like your friend would get along with someone I know,” Percy grinned. “Travis and Connor are two brothers who have no limit to what kind of pranks they’ll pull.”

 

They were sitting together in the same cafe as they had been going to, enjoying the welcoming atmosphere. Mrs. Cooper was always there when they arrived, their food and drinks ready.

 

That day, they were talking about their families. It was rough for Peter to talk about his parents and uncle, but he perked up talking about his aunt. He told his new friend how his aunt had taken in one of his friends who had lost both her parents in the Infinity War, and how it was nice to have MJ around. While it wasn’t adoption by any means, MJ now had a legal guardian and a place to come home to.

 

Percy then told Peter about his first step-father, eyes full of sorrow, pain and anger when he did, but those were replaced by admiration when talking about his mother. He told Peter about his new stepfather, and how nice he was, and that his parents were expecting a baby girl soon, that he’d be a big brother.

 

As it neared seven, they parted, Peter waiting for Happy to pick him up, and Percy heading back home on his skateboard.

 

On his way home, Percy had to make a detour when a hellhound appeared in an alley. After killing it quickly, he continued on his way back home, keeping an eye out for anymore monsters that might appear. They were slowly coming back after being sent to Tartarus, and as a child of the Big Three, he knew he’d attract more monsters than a normal demigod.

 

He made it back home without any more trouble, smiling as he unlocked the door, hearing his mom and Paul chatting in the kitchen, Paul grading papers and his mom finishing up baking cookies.

 

“Excited to go to camp this weekend?” Sally smiled at her son after putting a tray of cookies in the oven.

 

“Yeah,” Percy grinned back, taking his shoes off, leaving them by the door. “Frank, Reyna and Hazel will be visiting from Camp Jupiter. Frank and Reyna left Bobby in charge while they’re gone for the weekend. It’ll be nice to be with each other again. We’ve all been busy recently.”

 

“Aren’t you and Annabeth going on a date Sunday afternoon?” Paul asked, looking up from the paper he was reading.

 

“Yeah,” Percy responded, grabbing a cookie that was cooling on a rack. “We’re going to get lunch, then come back here and watch a movie. It’ll be nice to have a relaxing weekend for once.”

 

Sally pressed a kiss to Percy’s forehead, before heading to the bathroom to take a shower.

 

Percy munched on some cookies as he watched his stepfather grade papers, before heading to his room. He still had some homework to do, and, knowing it would take him awhile to finish it, decided it would be best to start now. He was pushing himself more than usual, as he and Annabeth promised to attend New Rome University together the following fall.

 

He fell asleep three hours later, still in his clothes.

 

When Sally checked in on him, she smiled before gently pulling his shoes off, turning the lights off as she closed the door slightly behind her.

 

* * *

It was a relief to hear Peter talking a mile a minute again. While Tony pretended that it annoyed him, he actually enjoyed the teen’s constant chatter. It had slowed after Infinity War, but now, after a few weeks of therapy, it was starting back up again. It seemed that Peter’s weekly sessions with Dr. Stirling were helpful.

 

It was a late night in the lab for the two, MJ somewhere else in the compound, likely watching a documentary. She preferred to be on her own Friday nights, leaving Peter and Tony to work in the lab.

 

That night, they were building robots, each of them at their own station, AC/DC blasting through the room. 

 

Tony paused on what he was doing, watching the teen. It was nice to see Peter happier than he had been, though the older man knew there was still a lot of healing to be done. Every little bit helped, though.

 

It was a peaceful night, the first night in weeks that Peter didn’t have nightmares, though Tony knew that they hadn't stopped completely. 

 

In the morning, MJ and Peter were already in the kitchen eating breakfast when Tony stumbled in, heading straight to the coffee maker.

 

However, he was surprised to have a cup shoved in his hands by MJ, the girl looking bored, but Tony knew better. This was her way of thanking him for allowing her to stay there, for helping to look for her brother.

 

He was still MIA, but Tony was holding out hope. The girl didn’t deserve to loose all her family.

 

The three spent the day together, sifting through movies and spending time in the gym. MJ stayed in the corner, reading her book, while the other two trained. It was routine for them, and while it may seem odd to many, it was comfortable to them.

 

They were only interrupted once when Pepper checked in on them, asking what they wanted to do for dinner. After that, she left them to their own devices, knowing that MJ could keep the other two in line if needed.

 

Pepper joined them at dinner, the four of them piled on the couches, pizza boxes spread out on the table in front of them as FRIDAY started a movie for them.

 

Pepper smiled to herself as she watched the other three. This is how it should be.

 

* * *

Percy waved at Paul before disappearing into camp, running his fingers along the trunk of Thalia’s tree as he went.

 

He dropped his stuff off in his cabin, before making his way towards the beach, where they had agreed to meet. Reyna, Frank, Hazel and Annabeth were already there, and he smiled as he watched them talk.

 

He joined them, sitting down next to Annabeth and across from Hazel, grabbing one of the camp grown strawberries that sat in a bowl on the table. As they greeted him, he smiled at them. It was nice to find a time that they could all get together without the threat of war looming over them.

 

The five friends chatted amounts themselves, catching up, as they waited for the rest of their group. Will and Nico arrived together five minutes later, Jason, Piper and Leo joining them two minutes after that.

 

Will watched the group curiously, watching how they all interacted with each other. He hadn’t been part of the group who fought outside of camp, who nearly died everyday. He had been at camp, helping to heal people and fighting when he needed to. However, he had seen his fair share of of loss and violence, and being up close to the injuries his friends received was not a fun experience. Now that he and Nico were closer, the beginning of their relationship have blossomed not long ago, he was invited to hangout with the heroes more often. He found it fascinating to observe the group, to see how they hid things, or who they were most comfortable being open with.

 

He had spent many summers with Annabeth and Percy, so it was most interesting to see how their experiences shaped who they were. Will had watched the way grief affected them, how Luke and Silena and Beckendorf and everyone else’s death had affected them. It was obvious all of it still weighed on their shoulders, because just when they were given the chance to heal, they were thrown into another prophecy. Now, though, they both seemed to be lighter, and based on the conversation, it was because they were finally able to open up.

 

They didn’t talk about everything with each other too much, knowing that only trusting each other with what happened could lead to bad things. If they only talked to each other, they would constantly weigh each other down, remind each other of what had happened. So they talked to others for the majority of it: Annabeth with Piper and Rachel, and Percy with Grover and his new friend, Peter.

 

It seemed to be helping them, because as they talked to each other and their friends, there was no tension between the two, just looks of understanding.

 

The son of Apollo continued to watch his friends, noting how Reyna and Jason were meeting each other’s eyes more often, recounting tales from their younger years at Camp Jupiter without them immediately closing up after. They had a rocky start to rebuilding their friendship after Jason returned with Piper and no thanks for Reyna after she led the camp on her own for eight months. Reyna held her head up high, and continued to lead the camp without looking back. However, Will could read people well, and knew that that was Reyna’s way of coping with, in a way, losing her best friend.

 

But their friends had had enough of them ignoring each other after many years of such a profound friendship, and forced them to talk. They locked them up in Zeus’ cabin, guarding the doors so neither could escape. There was screaming and throwing of things after Reyna finally broke down, Jason trying to defend himself even though he knew he could’ve done something better. Despite this, at the end of the day, Reyna acknowledged Jason, and Jason thanked Reyna for all she did for their camp, apologizing for not giving her the recognition she deserved. After all, she had to lead a camp meant for two to rule on her own, while trying to find her friend and dealing with Octavian.

 

Percy, Annabeth and Piper were the most relieved the two friends were rebuilding their friendship, knowing how important it was. Many people thought that Piper would be jealous of her boyfriend’s friendship with the female praetor, but she wasn’t. She knew nothing would happen between them, both Jason and Reyna too noble to let it. As well, she could tell how much they needed each other in their lives, because they lived through so much on their own before meeting anyone else. Reyna had had a tough childhood, and had a hard time opening up at camp, but Jason managed to get her to trust him. Also, Reyna helped keep Jason’s head out of the clouds, helping to train him and keep him out of trouble.

 

Piper knew they needed each other’s friendship, and had no doubts or worries about pushing them back into the bond they once shared.

 

Will could tell it was doing everyone good. There was no bad blood between any of the heroes, and it made times like this easier.

 

“Hey, you good?” Hazel nudged his shoulder, noticing he hadn’t been talking much.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I am,” Will smiled back at her. “Just enjoying watching everyone at ease with each other, after everything.”

 

Hazel’s eyes sparkled, taking in Jason and Reyna, and Percy and Annabeth. The Romans and the Greeks, the (former, in the case of Jason) leaders of the camps. “Everything seems okay for once, doesn’t it? No threat looming over our heads, friendships being rebuilt and everyone is getting to heal.”

 

“It’s about time,” Will agreed, watching Piper and Leo chasing each other around the table, a small smile on Reyna’s face.

 

With a start, Percy cried out as Leo chucked a strawberry at him that was meant for Piper. Percy slowly turned around to stare down the son of Hephaestus, eyes gleaming as a smirk spread across his face. 

 

“Uh oh,” Leo muttered, before ducking behind Piper. “Save me!”

 

And then, there was chaos as all the demigods got dragged into a food fight, a free for all. They were all laughing as they hit their target, dodging behind each other to avoid being hit. Reyna and Annbeth were both caught a few times rolling their eyes, but the gleam in their eyes let everyone know they were having fun.

 

Frank was using his shapeshifting abilities to his advantage, shrinking down to avoid being hit by fruit. Jason called on the wind, Percy on the lake. Piper tried to charmspeak others, and Hazel used the Mist to confuse others.

 

After awhile, they all collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily as they piled on top of each other. They were all smiling, feeling lighter than usual.

 

Percy was resting his head on Piper’s stomach, her legs thrown over Leo’s. Jason’s head was resting in Reyna’s lap, Annabeth leaning against the daughter of Bellona. Will, Nico, Hazel and Frank were in a puppy pile next to them, Hazel’s ankles tangled together with Percy’s and Frank’s arm pressed against Annabeth’s.

 

They sat in silence, drinking in the moment. It had been too long since they could act like teenagers, like _kids,_ because they had all grown up too fast.

 

It was only as the sun began to set, and the stars began to come out that they finally tired, gathering up their stuff before retreating to their cabins.

 

They bid each other goodnight, promising to meet up for breakfast in the morning, before heading into their cabins.

 

* * *

Peter yawned as he curled up tighter, the movie playing in the background long forgotten. He shifted his legs, bringing them closer to his body.

 

He could hear Tony and Pepper on the other couch, curled up together, breathing steady and calm, both of them asleep. MJ was asleep, too, bare feet dangling off the edge of the love seat.

 

Peter listened to their breathing, letting it soothe him. It was calming to be able to hear their breathing, knowing that they were safe and content.

 

He continued to lay there, half asleep, as he thought about all the people he had in his life. He may have lost his parents and his uncle, but he had May, Ned, MJ, Tony and Pepper, was getting to know some of the other heroes, Percy and a few others on the decathlon team. He was lucky, knowing that he had people at his side that could understand what he had gone through, at least to an extent.

 

Even though May was his aunt, and he referred to her as such, she was the closest thing he had to a mother. She had been there at his side through the loss of his parents and uncle, had worked to put food on the table, a roof over their head, and payed to have Peter attend Midtown Tech where everyone else had a mind like his.

 

Ned and MJ were his two friends at school, looking out for him both as Peter and as Spider-man. Ned had been his friend longer, but MJ was becoming as much as a good friend as Ned was, partly because they were now living together. Percy, though a new friend, was a good one, and Peter was excited to get to know him better

 

Tony was becoming a father figure to Peter, which kind of freaked him out, if he was going to be honest. Peter didn’t expect that coming out of the billionaire reaching out to him. At first, it was just a mentor/mentee relationship, which had been perfectly fine with the teen. Now, though, Tony had taken a more prevalent role in Peter’s life. In most respects, the idea that he was allowed to go over to the lab and work, had a room in the compound, and got to have causal dinner and movie night with _Iron-Man_ was amazing. But it also made Peter worried. First of all, he doubted Mr. Stark felt the same way, or would feel weirded out if Peter admitted how he felt. He had a feeling the billionaire never really wanted kids. Second of all, Peter had already lost both his father and Uncle Ben, and didn’t want to add Tony to that list. The idea terrified him.

 

Pepper, though he didn’t know her as well, was almost like an aunt to him. She was kind, and was a rational voice whenever there was a disagreement. She was logical, and sometimes she let Peter help out with the company, which he enjoyed more than he thought he would.

 

It felt like a family, albeit a patchwork one, when he was with his aunt, two friends, Tony and Pepper.

 

* * *

Percy and Annabeth were curled up together on the couch in the Blofis-Jackson apartment, watching _Emperor’s New Groove_. Though they enjoyed the movie, they were both distracted by the new phones that Leo had given them that morning before they left camp.

 

Leo had designed the phones especially for demigods. They didn’t send out a signal that let monsters know where they were, so they could communicated without worrying. It wasn’t Annabeth’s first phone, but it was Percy’s, so he was having fun exploring all the apps.

 

He had programmed in the numbers of Annabeth, his mom, Paul, and the rest of his friends who were at camp that weekend. He and Rachel had already sent dozens of messages to each other, as now it was easier to catch up with each other.

 

Percy planned on getting Peter’s number on Friday. They had come to an agreement with each other, talking about what they had gone through without admitting how they had came to be involved in it. Now, it would be easier, and they could help each other through nightmares.

 

Annabeth carded her fingers through her boyfriend’s hair as she sent off a text to Piper, enjoying the easy communication, as well as the peaceful look on Percy’s face. It had been too long since they had a weekend like this one, and hopefully there would be more in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter to write, especially the demigods' weekend. I may write more about Jason/Reyna's friendship in a later part of this series. (Jeyna is my otp, but for this story, Jason/Piper are together, and I'll focus on Jason/Reyna's friendship. Also, I never felt like Piper would be super insecure about the two Roman's friendship, so I wrote her being supportive instead.)
> 
>  
> 
> I have a few ideas I've been tossing around that I may or may not include. This includes: giving Peter a significant other, having a crossover couple (one person from HOCO and one from PJO), and, while/after healing from Civil War and coming to terms with that, having at least a hint (possibly more) of Tony/Steve. If you have opinions on these ideas, or ideas for couples, feel free to let me know!
> 
> The next chapter will have more Peter/Percy bonding, and possibly Percy helping out Spider-man! (also, dogs)
> 
> Otherwise, look forward to the next chapter. It should be up later this week!


	8. Service Dogs and Rescue Missions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy and Peter meet Oliver, a service dog. As well, Percy finds himself in a situation where he ends up saving three heroes from being swept away by water.

Dr. Stirling was sitting in her office, taking notes as she flipped through her appointment book. She would be getting a few new clients that week, and needed to gather the appropriate materials. Two were mortals, one was a demigod, and one had fought in the Infinity War alongside the heroes as an ally.

 

New York was a good place for her to work, as there were always clients. One of her associates, also a legacy of Apollo, was stationed in California to help the Roman demigods that Dr. Stirling now knew existed.

 

Checking the time, the doctor noted that her next appointment was in twenty minutes, this one different from ones in the past. She had seen how Percy and Peter interacted with each other, a stronger sense of compassion between the two teenagers that had only known each other for a short time than she had ever seen.

 

It was because of this that she had scheduled a joint session for them. Based on what both of them had said to her during their individual sessions the past couple months, she had an idea on what would help them both with their flashbacks and panic attacks. They told her how debilitating they could be, and she wanted to help them.

 

As she led them into her office twenty minutes later, she watched their eyes light up as they spotted Oliver.

 

Oliver perked up when he saw the boys, tail wagging furiously. The chocolate lab greeted them, before curling up between them on the floor, letting them run their fingers through his fur.

 

Dr. Stirling watched a sense of peace settle over them as they talked to her about their week, each keeping a hand on the service dog.

 

And when Percy’s chest got tight and breathing became hard as he was sucked back into a memory of Tartarus, Oliver was right there at his side.

 

A few minutes later, Percy blinked slowly as he focused on the present, face buried in Oliver’s side, his arms wrapped around the dog and the lab licked his face.

 

Dr. Stirling had ushered Peter out of the room, knowing Percy needed the space. It wasn’t the first time the demigod had been drawn into a flashback. However, this time, it came as a surprise that he only needed five minutes to fully recover, instead of the usual ten.

 

Percy didn’t meet their eyes as they came back into the room, focusing on Oliver. But when he did look up, Dr. Stirling could tell he was firmly back in the present. She took note on how Oliver helped the demigod, also noting that having the dog around helped Peter stay grounded as well, especially when he brought up his uncle.

 

When the session was over, she watched with a fond smile on her face as the boys said good-bye to Oliver, reluctantly leaving for their weekly hangout.

 

* * *

Percy and Peter made their way to the small cafe, greeted by Mrs. Cooper. She gave them their food, a smile on her face.

 

“Antonia is coming over to work a shift soon, if you’d like to stay and say hello to her.”

 

Percy smiled. “Yeah, I’d like to introduce her to Peter. I think they’d get along.”

 

“I’ll send her out when she gets here,” Mrs. Cooper responded, before turning back to the register.

 

The two friends shifted their conversation to their friends, Peter talking about Ned and MJ, and Percy talking about Annabeth and Grover. They kept the conversation lighthearted, trading stories until Antonia arrived.

 

“Hey, Percy!” she waved as she tied a black apron around her waist. She walked over to them, her black converse squeaking slightly against the tile floor. She was tall, broad shoulders from swimming. She was dressed casually in jeans and a blue flow-y shirt, a necklace with a locket hanging around her neck. Her auburn hair was up in a ponytail, a few loose pieces falling around her face.

 

“Hey, ‘Tonia,” Percy smiled. “This is Peter. Peter, this is Antonia.”

 

“Ah, so you’re Peter,” Antonia raised an eyebrow as she pulled up a chair. “I’ve heard about you.”

 

“I hope good things,” Peter responded, glancing at Percy.

 

“Don’t worry,” Antonia grinned. “I swear it was all good. Mom told me you two come here every Friday. I trust you enjoy the food?”

 

“It’s great,” Peter complimented. “I want to bring some of my friends here sometime.”

 

“MJ and Ned?” Upon getting a nod of confirmation, Percy continued. “Hey, we should find a time to meet up here! You can bring MJ and Ned, and I’ll see if Annabeth and Grover or Rachel can come.”

 

“Antonia, sweetheart,” Mrs. Cooper called out. “I need your help with this order!”

 

“Coming, mom!” Antonia called back. “That’s my cue. Enjoy, guys!” She walked off, leaving Percy and Peter to their conversation.

 

“She seems nice,” Peter stated, before sipping on his soda.

 

“Yeah, she’s cool. She’s captain of the girls’ swim team at AHS.”

 

Peter nodded, before glancing at his phone as it beeped. 

 

**_Iron-Dad:_ ** _Hey kiddo. Sorry to interrupt your “bonding time” with what’s his name. But we’ve got a small situation that we need your help with. Natasha will be joining us. Suit up, and get to the Met as soon as you can._

 

“I, uh, gotta go,” Peter apologized as he grabbed his bag. “Family thing. See you next week?”

 

“Yeah, sounds good,” Percy replied, rummaging around in his pocket. “Hey, before you go, mind giving me your number?”

 

Peter rattled off his number, before waving goodbye as he left, Happy already out front with a car. Peter decided he would change on the way. Usually, Peter would just swing himself over to where he needed to be, but since Happy was nearby, Mr. Stark had sent him over.

 

Once he arrived at the Met, he sprinted out of the car, swinging his way up to the roof where Iron-Man and Black Widow were waiting. As they debriefed as to what was happening, Peter listened. Once they were done, he got to work, webbing up some of the criminals as Nat and Tony subdued the rest.

 

It was a small mission compared to most, but Peter was glad to have something to do. Just as it seemed they were in the clear, a criminal that they hadn’t spotted before came out of hiding, before aiming an alien blaster at the water pipes. As soon as the energy blast hit the metal pipe, it exploded, water flooding out, taking the heroes by surprise. Peter was swept away, unable to escape because while he now had waterproof webs, he couldn’t fire them while underwater. Natasha had gotten to safety, since she seemed to always be prepared for anything. And Tony was on lockdown in the suit, since it received some damage from the water. Peter tried to get his head above the water, but as soon as he gulped in some air, he was forced back under. He could see Natasha trying to reach them without being swept away herself, but the best she could do was keep anything heavy from hitting them in the head.

 

Then, all of a sudden, Peter felt a hand grasp his arm, pulling him out of the water. He sputtered, blinking the water out of his eyes, a shocked look passing over his face when he saw that the hand was actually made out of water. It set him down up near where Natasha was in the rafters, before another went to find Tony. Meanwhile, the rest of the water came to a standstill, as if was pushing against an invisible wall. 

 

Peter pulled his mask up past his nose, letting himself breath without any restriction. He had been able to breath with it on in the water due to some modifications made, but it also resulted in him inhaling some water.

 

He and Natasha watched as the water receded, lifting Tony up and out of the suit, coughing as water was expelled from his lungs.

 

The three heroes watched in shock as the water receded back into the pipes, sweeping away the damage as it went, leaving just enough to pin the criminals to the wall.

 

Natasha cursed under her breath in Russian, before hopping down to check on Tony. Besides the cough, he only had a few minor scrapes and bruises, so the heroes tied up the criminals, called the authorities, and left, still trying to figure out what had happened.

* * *

Percy was exhausted. He had been out, not going back home after dinner. He had wandered the city, keeping an eye out for any monsters. He had run into a few, but they didn't take too much effort to send back to Tartarus. Just as he was ready to turn around and head back home, he noticed commotion at the Met. He cautiously made his way over, peering into a window to see what was going on.

 

When the pipe burst, he hesitated for a minute, before taking action. Though it wasn’t his place— it was superhero territory, no monsters in sight— he couldn’t let the three heroes get swept away. It took a lot of effort, since he was already emotionally drained from earlier, but he managed to save the two heroes that had been in the water. He waited long enough to watch Black Widow check on Iron-Man, Spider-man right behind her, before he slipped off.

 

And as soon as he got home, after greeting his parents, he fell into bed, asleep almost immediately.

 

* * *

Dr. Stirling was getting ready to leave her office when the phone rang. She answered, surprised to hear Tony Stark on the other end.

 

“Ah, Mr. Stark. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

 

“I, uh,” the man hesitated, not good with expressing gratitude. “I just wanted to thank you. For helping. Peter. He wasn’t doing so well after the war, but I’ve noticed it’s easier for him to sleep, to open up. Yeah, the kid still has nightmares and suffers from flashbacks, but he’s able to talk to someone about it now. Just… thanks.”

 

Dr. Stirling smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. Peter is a wonderful kid, and I can’t imagine going through what he did. I have few clients that have gone through as much or more, and he handles it better than most. However, I have noticed that his flashbacks and panic attacks can cause problems at school sometimes. Now, I know that you aren’t his legal guardian, but you are on file as Peter’s emergency contact. I would recommend an emotional support dog for him.”

 

“A dog?”

 

“Yes. Today, I had one of our service dogs sit in during session, and Peter took to Oliver. Having Oliver there today helped ground him in the present, and he seemed more at ease. It is just a suggestion, but I feel it could help Peter tremendously. If you, or his legal guardian would like more information, please, let me know.”

 

“I’ll talk to his aunt,” was Tony’s response. “And thank you. Seriously.”

 

“I’m just doing my job,” Dr. Stirling responded as she pulled her keys out of her purse. “Have a good night, Mr. Stark.” As she hung up, she pulled her office door closed behind her, locking it.

 

An hour after she got home, she noticed a familiar shimmering in the corner. An Iris Message. As she made her way over to it, sipping on tea, she noticed a familiar face looking back at her. Chiron.

 

The conversation with the centaur went similar to the one with Mr. Stark did. Chiron thanked her for working with Percy, noting the improvements he saw in the demigod. Percy had five years of grief and nightmares to work through, and that was only what he went through in the demigod world. Before that, he had been bullied, friendless, and had an abusive stepfather.

 

This was the first time Percy had time to talk about what had happened to him, and it was doing him good. However, his panic attacks and flashbacks were still a common occurrence, so she passed on her advice to Chiron as well. An emotional support dog. Chiron promised to pass the information onto Sally Jackson and her husband, thanking the doctor one last time before disconnecting the message.

 

As Dr. Stirling went to bed that night, she was satisfied with the progress the two boys were making. It would take time, and it would never be perfect, but they could heal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I felt like I need to bring in Antonia more, and she may make more appearances later, if it fits into the storyline.
> 
> in the next chapter, Percy will find out that Peter is Spider-man! Since I have finished writing this story, I'll be posting the next chapter later today, and the final chapter tomorrow. Currently, I'm working on other stories and one-shots for this series, so if there's anything you'd like to see, feel free to leave a comment!


	9. Revelations and Comfort Sessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy finds out Peter is Spider-man, Tony and May agree to get Peter a service dog, and Percy helps Peter out when the younger teen has a nightmare.

Peter had ducked out of another dinner, saying he needed to help who Percy knew to be his honorary aunt, a woman named Pepper.

 

But Percy, spending enough time around Leo and children of Hermes, could tell that wasn’t the truth, or at least not all of it. He trusted Peter, but wanted to make sure he didn’t get into trouble. Percy was loyal to his friends, he knew that. So once he paid, he left, looking around for his friend, spotting him half a block away.

 

Percy tilted his head, curious as he watched his friend duck into an alley, glancing around as if he was trying to make sure no one followed him.

 

Following suit, Percy glanced around, before stepping into the alley, wondering what Peter was up to. He walked cautiously, Riptide clenched tightly in his hand just in case. He moved carefully, making sure to not make noise.

 

Percy had figured out that there was something different about the younger teen. It was obvious in the way Peter shied away from certain topics, or the way he avoided names when recounting stories. The pain and panic evident in his eyes that appeared at certain sounds or situations made it obvious to the demigod that Peter had seen much more than he was letting on. Percy was toying with the idea of Peter being a descendant of a god, but couldn’t be sure. There was no way he was a demigod, because if he was, the amount of monsters they ran into would be higher, and the tattoo and necklace Percy had would have been recognizable. Not all descendants knew much about the camps, so it was possible.

 

Percy’s eyes widened as he watched Peter pull on a familiar red and blue suit, before putting on his mask, webbing his backpack to the wall.

 

Spider-man.

 

All of a sudden, a web stuck Riptide to the wall, and Spider-man was in front of him.

 

Percy just raised an eyebrow, not feeling like he was in immediate danger. After all, he had faced titans and giants. His friend, a superhero, was not something he was too worried about, though he was curious. “So, _Peter._ I knew something was up with you, but not this. Gonna go fight crime with the Avengers?”

 

“All right, all right,” came the familiar voice from behind the mask. “You got me. You _can’t_ tell anyone about this.”

 

“I won’t,” Percy promised, grinning as he felt Riptide re-appear in his pocket. He pulled the pen out, twirling it in his fingers. “I get needing to keep secrets safe, trust me. I’ve done it before.”

 

Peter glanced over at the wall, surprised to see the pen gone, in Percy’s hand instead. “How did— never mind, I gotta go. There’s crime to stop. But I’m guessing we’re going to talk more about this later?”

 

Percy nodded. “I’ll text you.”

 

Peter agreed, before shooting a web at the building, swinging off.

 

* * *

**_Seaweed Brain:_ ** _so, ur spiderman_

 

**_Spidey:_ ** _…yeah, i guess the secret’s out_

 

**_Seaweed Brain:_ ** _thats so cool !!_

 

**_Seaweed Brain:_ ** _like, i get that u mustve gone thru some hard stuff, but its still cool_

 

**_Spidey:_ ** _so ur not mad I didn’t tell you?_

 

**_Seaweed Brain:_ ** _nah, like i said. i get keeping ur id a secret. its chill. & if you wanna talk about anything at anytime, just txt me. ill listen_

 

Peter was relieved that even though he hadn’t told Percy his secret, and his friend had figured it out on his own, he wasn’t upset with Peter. He actually understood! And now he had someone else to talk to about everything, someone who hadn’t lived through it, wouldn’t judge.

 

The revelation had strengthen their friendship, and now, even when they had their standing Friday night hangout, they texted each other everyday. They were growing closer, learning to trust each other with a lot, though there were still some things they kept to themselves.

 

They hadn’t met any of each other’s friends yet, but were working on planning it. Instead, they just talked more, trading more stories, though this time, Peter could use names.

 

Percy never pushed him to talk about something he didn’t want to, and Peter was thankful for that. He could tell his friend was holding something back, but since Percy didn’t push him, Peter didn’t want to push, either.

 

* * *

Tony had been in touch with May, telling that Dr. Stirling had suggested a service dog. He insisted that he would take care of all the expenses if May agreed to the idea.

 

After May checked their building’s rules about animals, and did some research, she hesitantly agreed. She wanted what was best for Peter, but was still uneasy about taking Tony for granted so much.

 

However, he assured her that it was nothing, and that he wanted to help Peter. The billionaire didn’t want Peter going down the path that he did, and once he convinced May he only wanted what was best for the kid, she agreed.

 

The two met up one afternoon to go look at dogs, as Tony had a place he knew about with trained dogs.

 

Peter was going to get a dog, no matter what. It would just take some time.

 

* * *

Peter whimpered, clinging to his pillow as the nightmare began. He was spending the weekend at the compound, and after a relaxing night of working in the lab and watching movie, he felt like he could have a peaceful night sleep.

 

He was wrong.

 

_He was stuck under the building again. It was dark, and every part of Peter’s body ached, screaming in pain._

 

_He cried out, hoping someone could hear him. Everything hurt and he was terrified, afraid he was going to die alone._

 

_There was no Ned, no Karen trying to soothe him._

 

_Peter lay there for a minute, sobbing, the tears creating tracks through the dirt, dust and blood on his cheeks. He wanted to be at home with his aunt, or even back at school. Anywhere but here._

 

_Hiccuping, Peter glanced at himself in the puddle of water right underneath his face. He was mess, but he tried to push that aside._

 

_“I’m Spider-man,” he mumbled, trying to wiggle out, wincing as his back ached._

 

Peter was thrashing around, gasping for breath as he was stuck in his dream.

 

Karen took note, since Mr. Stark had programmed the AI to watch over the kid as he slept. Adhering to the programming, Karen accessed Peter’s phone, sending a text to his most recent contact. Percy Jackson.

 

Karen had originally been programmed to awake Mr. Stark, who would come in and comfort the teen. But Peter had hacked into the system and changed it when Percy got a phone. The older teen hadn’t had one when they first met, though Peter was unsure why. He didn’t want to press, however. He guessed it was because Percy didn’t want to burden his parents with the bill, since they weren’t super rich. Peter could understand that. Before Tony Stark entered his life and insisted Peter have the highest tech, he would feel the same way.

 

The nightmare changed, and Peter’s cries echoed through his room.

 

_He was on the battlefield, looking around to see who needed help. Gamora, the green lady, and Black Widow were fighting back to back, taking down enemies. Hawkeye was shooting arrows next to the talking raccoon, Rocket, the tree who only said one thing with them._

 

_Captain America and Iron-Man were fighting side by side, putting their disagreement aside for the moment, Wanda keeping them safe._

 

_The rest of their allies were scattered across the battlefield, some fighting enemies, the other trying to evacuate the civilians._

 

_Peter swung down, landing near Natasha and Gamora, taking out a few enemies. He fought with them, before his spider-sense acted up. He looked around, eyes widening in fear when he saw what was about to happen. Peter rushed towards Iron Man and Captain America, going as fast as he could. He swung himself into the air, flying past Cap to protect Iron Man from the alien weapon._

 

It was a common nightmare for Peter to have, however, this time, it strayed from the true events. This time, he didn’t make it in time, and Iron Man was blasted by the weapon, suit tossed to the side with a sickening crunch. It was too late by the time Peter got there.

 

Sitting bolt right up in bed, tears streaming down his face, Peter wrapped his arms around his legs, making himself as small as possible.

 

_Peter,_ Karen’s calm voice echoed in the room. _I have contacted Percy Jackson, and he is on the way. I advise you work on slowing your breathing._

 

She proceeded to talk Peter through a breathing exercise, praising him as his breath evened out, just in time to hear a knock on his window.

 

Jumping to attention, Peter noticed that it was Percy. He was too emotionally drained to question how Percy was on the balcony outside his window or how he got there so fast, relieved to see him.

 

In truth, the minute Percy got the text from Karen, he had called Blackjack to pick him up and bring him to the compound. It hadn’t taken long, and once he knew his pegasus was out of sight, knocked on Peter’s window, trying to formulate an excuse as to how he had gotten there so quickly, and how he had made it onto the balcony. But it wasn’t needed.

 

Few words were exchanged, but the meaning was clear. Percy made his way into Peter’s room as the younger teen grabbed a couple blankets off of his bed. Before they left the room, Peter asked Karen to let Tony know where he was in case he asked.

 

Then, Peter proceeded to lead Percy to the elevator, instructing FRIDAY to bring them up to the roof. 

 

Though Percy had many questions about the voices coming from the building, he knew it wasn’t the time.

 

Once they made their way to the roof, settling down, Percy looked up at the stars, searching for familiar constellations as he waited for Peter to be ready to talk.

 

“It started with Liz. She was a senior at Midtown, captain of the decathlon team. And one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever seen. She was kind, smart, and popular. A lot of normal teen stuff happened leading up to the party she had that I was invited to because the school bully, Flash, heard my conversation with Ned about knowing Spider-man. I was at the party and ready to swing in as my alter-ego, when I noticed a flash coming from miles away. I had to check it out. I ended up getting hold of a small part of one of the weapons. Ned and I tried to figure out what it was, as I tried to sneak around attempting to find answers. That led to the Washington Monument incident, that you would’ve heard about. It was terrifying, knowing my whole team could’ve died.” Peter skipped around in his story, leaving out the details he didn’t feel were important.

 

“Even after that event, Ned and I continued our research. Turned out, there were people dealing alien tech— a mix of normal weapons and alien weapons. These weapons are deadly. Trying to figure out where their base was, I tracked a deal to a ferry. I’m sure you saw that disaster in the news,” Peter glanced down at his lap, where his hands were folded.

 

“For a little while, that was the scariest thing I did. The fire and smoke in the air, the strain on my muscles as I tried to keep the ferry together. Iron-Man came to the rescue, and after everyone was safe, he yelled at me. Took away my suit that he gave me. For a little bit, I was able to be a normal teen, balancing school life, detention and spending time with Ned and May. And then I somehow worked up enough courage to ask Liz to homecoming, and she agreed. I was excited, but nervous. Standing at her door, waiting for someone to open it was nerve-wracking. But then the door opened and there was the man who tried to kill me many times, the man behind the alien tech. And he knew, too.”

 

Percy turned to face his friend, gently knocking his shoulder against Peter’s to let him know he was listening.

 

“I couldn’t believe that the Vulture was Liz’s dad. I had thought he would be some crazy mad-man, not a man with a nice house in the suburbs that he lived in with his nice, normal family. After Liz got out of the car at the dance, he held me back, under pretense of giving the dad talk. He gave me a choice, and even though I wanted to forget it all, I knew what I had to do.I let my phone drop onto the floor of the car, watching as the car drove away. I walked into the gym, all the other noises fading out when I realized what I was going to do. I hated ditching Liz again, but I couldn’t let those weapons hurt anyone. I tried to leave, exiting the school in my home-made suit, but he had men waiting for me. I remember being terrified, and in pain, as I was tossed around in a bus, the glass digging into my skin easier because I was wearing my homemade suit. Seeing Ned with my web shooters was a relief, and I was able to get the upper hand.”

 

Peter continued to recount how Ned helped him, how he stole Flash’s car and how he almost crashed many times, even going as far as to being in the car as it flipped over. He closed his eyes as he started talking about what happened in the warehouse, but opened them again when it felt like he was back there.

 

He made eye contact with his friend, keeping it steady as he told Percy about the building crushing him, of being alone, of feeling like he was going to die. How he escaped, pausing only to breathe, before forcing himself to follow the Vulture to Stark Tower. How he made it onto the plane, how he was scared of the height, the pain he was in, and the heart stopping moment when he thought he would die, shredded by the plane’s engine, but his quick thinking and webs saved him. He talked about how he tried to steer the plane away from the city, bracing himself as he realized it was going to crash, being thrown around as it hit the sand, going up in flames. How as he tried to get up, the Vulture attacked him, slamming him face first into the ground, before his greed took hold and he tried to steal weapons.

 

How he had been told that, by all counts, he would be allowed to hate the villain, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He tried to warn Toomes that his wing was going to explode, but the older man wouldn’t listen. How Peter braced himself before running through the flames of the exploded mechanical wings to save the man. Peter didn’t want anyone to die on his watch, even if they tried to kill him.

 

Percy listened carefully, letting Peter get it all out, frowning as tears began to spill from the superhero’s eyes. Once he was sure Peter was done talking, Percy pulled his friend into a hug. He knew what it was like to suffer through the pain on his own, and wanted to help.

 

They stayed out on the roof, curled up in the blankets, relying on each other’s presence. They fell asleep, only waking when the sun began to rise.

 

Once Percy was sure Peter would be okay, he made his way out of the compound, calling for Blackjack once he knew he was out of sight. He got on the pegasus’ back, before telling his friend he wanted to go back home.

 

Percy was going to do some research, willingly, to see what he could find that might help Peter with his nightmares.

 

He couldn’t let his friend suffer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more chapter of this story left! but don't worry, this is only the first in the series. though i may not write many longer stories like this one, i will have shorter ones, as well as one-shots of the boys and their friends. if you have suggestions on what I should write on, leave a comment! i currently have a few in progress, including the boys getting their emotional support dogs.
> 
> in the next chapter, it's a few months later, and Peter finds out about the demigod world. Tony is confused by godly DNA, and Percy uses his powers to save Peter during a small scale "Avengers" mission.


	10. Of Myths and Flashbacks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter finds out about the mythological world, Tony is confused by godly DNA, Peter helps out Percy, and Percy saves Peter.

**Three Months Later…**

 

Peter sighed in relief as the water slowly started receding, as if being called by some force. He quickly finished webbing up the criminal, before his curiosity got the best of him, and he decided to figure out how the water was being controlled. It wasn’t the first time he had seen something like this, and his curiosity couldn’t hold out any longer.

 

Settling up high on a balcony of the building, he looked around, startled when he spotted Percy nearby, face set in concentration as he moved his hand, the water following the movements. Peter watched in awe as the water obeyed Percy’s command, making its way back to the nearby fountain.

 

Peter shifted from where he was, freezing when he realized Percy had heard him. There was no point in hiding now, so Peter made himself known.

 

“Dude, that is _cool_ ,” Peter called out from his perch, awestruck. “How’d you do that?”

 

Percy sighed, capping Riptide. He grabbed the hem of his shirt, using the edge to wipe sweat off of his face.

 

“Come down from there,” the demigod responded wearily as he sat down on an upturned crate that survived the fight.

 

Peter swung down in a blur of red and blue. As he sat next to the older teen, he pulled his mask off after Karen assured him no one else was nearby.

 

“Are you a superhero, too?” Peter asked, beginning to ramble. “How come we’ve never heard of you? Or are you new? How’d you get your powers?”

 

“Woah, calm down, Spidey,” Percy held up a hand. “I can only handle on question at a time.”

 

Peter nodded. “ _Are_ you a superhero, though?”

 

“Nope,” Percy shook his head. “Though that would be cool,” he admitted. “I did want to be a superhero when I was little.”

 

“Then what-” Peter started to ask, fiddling with his mask. “C’mon, you know who I am.”

 

Percy hesitated. “I guess that’s true. Alright, but this stays quiet.” He continued after Peter nodded, eyes wide. “I’m not a superhero. I’m a demigod.”

 

There was silence as Peter’s eyes widened even further. “Like Thor?”

 

“Not exactly. He’s Norse. Actually, my girlfriend’s cousin is a Norse demigod, child of Frey. But that’s besides the point. I’m Greek. My mom’s mortal. She raised me, and for the first twelve years of my life, I didn’t know anything about my father. And then everything went to shit, and now, here I am, over five years later.”

 

“Then, who’s-”

 

“Dad’s Poseidon, god of the ocean. That’s how I could do that. I have control over the water. I have other powers, technically, but I never use them. Been training with a sword since I was twelve.”

 

“Woah,” Peter grabbed his head. “Greek gods are really real? And they have kids, just like in the myths? Are all myths real? That would explain something I saw last year…”

 

“Yeah, the Greek gods are stationed in New York. Manhattan. Actually, Olympus is on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building. Then Norse are in Boston, a couple Egyptian magicians in Brooklyn, and Romans in California.”

 

Peter looked dazed, trying to take in all the information. This changed everything…

 

“What do you mean, you saw something last year?” Percy asked, cautiously.

 

“Um, it was shortly after I got my powers. It was mid August, and I was on patrol, and I just kept going. Ended up in Manhattan. Everything was at a standstill. That’s the last thing I remember until I woke up the next day. Saw a helicopter with the Dare Enterprise logo on it. Heard a girl was missing, hacked into the camera feed from the time I was sleeping to see if I could find her. I thought I was going crazy, or was just losing that much sleep when I saw what looked like a pegasus. And then a dragon. And the swords and the Empire State Building was blue?”

 

“Ah,” Percy nodded. “Yeah, I can explain that. Rachel is a friend of mine. Clear sighted mortal, and it seems like you are, too if you can see through the Mist. You happened across the city during the battle. Kronos was rising, and we had to stop him. There was a prophecy. We lost a lot of friends that day,” Percy’s voice gets quiet. “August 18th. So many heroes died. I hate thinking about it. Kinda sucks that’s my birthday, huh?” He chuckled, but it sounded forced. “But Rachel. She became our Oracle that day. The pegasus was real. His name is Blackjack. And the dragon guards our camp, guards the tree. That’s another story. The building being blue… Zeus did that for me, to let my mom know I was safe, alive, since mortals can’t go up.

 

“Okay, I think I’m following you. Kind of. Wait, what’s the mist?”

 

“The Mist is this force. And no, not like Star Wars. It can twist a mortal's sight from seeing monsters, gods, Titans, and whatever by replacing them with things the mortal mind knows about and can wrap their heads around. Like to others? My sword might just be a bat. They might see monsters as wild animals. But some mortals can see through it. I’m not entirely sure why. Annabeth would be a better person to ask about this.”

 

“I can’t believe this,” Peter muttered. “So wait. Let’s see if I understand this. Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Norse gods all exist. They have children or magicians. There’s a magical force that makes sure mortals don’t know about these worlds, but some mortals can see this stuff. There was a battle in Manhattan last summer. You’re the son of the sea god.”

 

“Yeah… that sums up what I told you pretty well,” Percy shrugged. “You’re taking this pretty calmly, considering what I just told you. But I guess you’ve seen your fair share of weird as a superhero.”

 

“Still. It’s a lot to take in.”

 

“I get it,” Percy nodded sympathetically. “It took me time to fully accept it. Hey, I gotta get home— mom and Paul are going out, so I’m on baby-sitting duty. Take your time digesting this. I’ll see you around at some point.”

 

He stood up as Peter asked a question.

 

“Can I text you about this later? Like, I know we’re friends, but I get if all this is something you want to keep a secret or to yourself. I kinda just stumbled into all of this.”

 

“Yeah, it’s fine” Percy replied. “It’s good I have a phone now, huh? The reason I didn’t have one before is because they attract monsters, and since they just want to kill us, demigods don’t tend to use phones. But Leo made ones we can use, so yeah, text me. Also, you can text my friend Rachel, if you want, for more information if I’m not free. I IM and text her regularly. And not the kind of IM you’re thinking of. I’d explain it to you so I could use it contact you one of these days, but I don’t have time right now. Texting is the best.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, that works.”

 

Percy gave Peter Rachel’s number, so if he was busy, Rachel could help answer some of Peter’s questions. She knew a lot about Percy’s adventures, and he trusted her.

 

“She can answer some of your questions, in case I can’t talk. Just tell her you’re my friend, and you know. I’ll see you later. And honestly, like I’ve been saying, if you need anything, I’m free.”

 

Percy waved, and then he was gone.

 

* * *

“And where do you think you’re going?”

 

Peter whirled around, already halfway out the window. He was dressed in his suit, mask still in his hand. It had been a few days since he found out who Percy was, and now that that secret was out in the open, the two were able to talk freely about everything. “Um… Manhattan?”

 

“Uh huh,” Tony stood in his doorway, arms crossed. “And why do you need to go to Manhattan at,” he checked his watch, “two in the morning?”

 

“I, um…”

 

Tony raised an eyebrow. “You do know that I programmed FRIDAY to let me know if you left the compound after one in morning? I promised your aunt May that you would actually get some sleep when you stayed over.”

 

“I did get some sleep! Okay, so it may have only been an hour, but Mr. Stark! I need to go. It’s important,” Peter pleaded, now standing in his room. “My friend needs me. I promise this isn’t just an excuse or something that will happen every night.”

 

“Does Ned, or MJ, or whoever really need to talk that badly?”

 

“It’s not either of them,” Peter shook his head. “It’s my new friend. Percy. I’ve told you about him. Well, actually, not he’s not exactly a “new” friend since we’ve known each other for like, a year. But I guess comparatively, at least to Ned, he is a new friend? And I mean, we only became close recently in the past few months, because of everything that’s been going on and-”

 

“Kid, you’re rambling,” Tony held up a hand. “I get it. I can tell whatever this is about, it’s important. Go, but don’t tell May I let you out this late. And make sure he doesn’t see you in your suit.”

 

“Uh… he already knows about Spider-man?”

 

Tony sighed heavily. “Kid-”

 

“We, um, actually help each other out. And it’s not like I was going to tell him. He’s just really good at sneaking up on people? Like, scarily good. He’s helped me out a few times when I’ve been on patrol, and I’ve helped him when he does what he does. I promise it’s nothing bad! I just can’t tell you-- I’m actually, technically, not supposed to know. Keep tabs on me with my tracker if you want. Just, please. I need to go.”

 

“Fine, go. But one last thing.”

 

Peter pulled on his mask before answering. “What?”

 

“What did you say his name was again?”

 

“Percy. Percy Jackson. Okay, gotta go!” And then he swung out the window, heading towards the city.

 

* * *

“FRIDAY, pull up whatever you can on Percy Jackson,” Tony requested as he walked out of Peter’s room, heading towards the lab.

 

He fiddled with the Iron Man suit for awhile, until the AI informed him the information had been gathered.

 

“Give me his family history.”

 

“Full name: Perseus Jackson, son of Sally Jackson. She is an orphan. Father not listed, but I could run a test on Percy’s DNA. His first step-father was a man named Gabe Ugliano. He disappeared about six years ago, and has never been seen since. Sally Jackson sold a sculpture around this time, and used the money to move her and her son to a nicer apartment and return to school. She is currently writing a book in the home she shares with her son and her new husband, Paul Blofis. They have a daughter together, Estelle, who is two months old.”

 

“Schooling?”

 

“Mr. Jackson has been at a different school every year except the past two. He was expelled from each school, with claims of him causing disasters and seeing things no one else saw. Despite setting Goode high school on fire during orientation, he was still invited to attend. He has trouble with school, since he has both ADHD and dyslexia. However, recently, his grades have improved, as he has had help from a fellow student, Annabeth Chase, his girlfriend. He excels in physical education, and has an interest in marine biology. He is currently seventeen years old, and is in his last year of high school.”

 

“Anything else?”

 

“Mr. Jackson stopped attending school in mid-October of last year. He was reported missing, but it was retracted in June by his mother, though he did not return home until August. It is unsure where he was during this time, but cameras caught someone looking like him in California, Alaska and Rome, before returning to New York.”

 

Tony sat down, cataloging all the information. Percy’s history was all over the place, and it seemed troubling. Sure, he was turning his life around, but the inventor didn’t want the lifestyle rubbing off on Peter.

 

“FRIDAY?”

 

“Sir?”

 

“Run the DNA test.”

 

* * *

Peter landed quietly on the fire escape outside of Percy’s window. He knew his friend was sensitive to loud noises, and while he also didn’t like being snuck up on, it was the better choice.

 

“Percy?”

 

Percy turned his head. His eyes were blank. He was in a pair of old shorts, his orange camp shirt, going barefoot. His hand was resting on his forearm, thumb running over the tattoo there. His sword was at his side where he could grab it at a moments notice. “Hi,” he whispered.

 

Peter sat down next to him, pulling the mask off. They sat in silence, looking at the sky.

 

“It’s the stars,” Percy mumbled. “The Huntress,” he gestured.

 

Peter found the constellation, one of the newer ones discovered and named, only coming to light a few years ago. The stars shined brightly. He looked up at them in silence, letting his friend talk in his own time.

 

“I was there, y’know, when the constellation was formed. Artemis placed them.”

 

Peter glanced at the demigod, noting his clenched fists and the sadness creeping into his eyes.

 

“Her name was Zoe. Zoe Nightshade. She was Artemis’ lieutenant, led the Hunters for over two thousand years. I’ve never met a Huntress with a stronger hatred of men,” Percy shook his head, chuckling. “That was Hercules’ fault. But Zoe. She was this fierce warrior, loyal to Lady Artemis and her fellow hunters until the end. She hated me, distrusted me for most of the quest. I wasn’t even supposed to be there, but I had to go. For Annabeth.”

 

Peter nodded as he re-adjusted his legs. Percy had told him about the daughter of Athena, and what had happened to her that winter.

 

“I was young. About fourteen. Five of us started the quest. Three of us returned.” Percy wiped away the tear that had fallen. “We lost both Bianca and Zoe. They both sacrificed themselves, taking lines of the prophecy onto their shoulders. Bianca went first, Zoe last. To be there, hear her last words, see the life leave her body… they were my first two friends to die, and Zoe was the first one I saw die. ‘Stars. I can see the stars again, m'lady.’ Her last words. To honor her, Artemis put her in the sky. Whenever I need comfort, and no one is around, I look for her. She’s always there, watching over us. She came to trust me as much as a Huntress can trust a guy. I proved to her I wasn’t like Hercules, gave her the credit she deserved. Did you know that my sword was hers at one point? She gave it to Hercules. He never looked back, left her behind, never gave her credit. But when we got closer, she told me she was glad the sword was in my hands.”

 

“It sounds like she was a great person,” Peter said softly.

 

“She was,” Percy nodded, running his fingers over a plant in the nearby pot, its leaves glowing softly. “Those who didn’t know her saw her as stuck up. But I’m honored I got to know her. It’s just… she’s the first one who died, and even though it wasn’t directly for me, in the scheme of things, it kind of was. I heard her voice, when I was in Tartarus,” he admitted. “Thought of her, too, when yet another friend sacrificed himself for me and Annabeth. ‘Tell the sun and stars hello for me.’ I did that, looked right up at Zoe when I did. That was one of the hardest quests of my life. Loosing two friends, watching Annabeth fall, unsure if she survived, facing Luke again, afraid Thalia would chose his side. Seeing the pain Thalia and Annabeth carried when it came to the son of Hermes. Holding the weight of the world on my shoulders, literally, even though it was for a short time. Knowing it would only get harder from there.”

 

Peter scooted closer to his friend, letting the older teen lay his head on Peter’s shoulder, exhaustion washing over them both.

 

“Sorry for contacting you so late,” Percy mumbled as he closed his eyes. “I just… I need to talk about Zoe, keep her spirit alive. I had a nightmare again, and I just… I need her comfort.”

 

“Dude, it’s cool,” Peter whispered. “You’ve helped me before this late. It’s only fair I do the same.” After a few minutes of silence, Peter broke it. “Still up for the usual tomorrow?” Peter asked, referring to their Friday plans.

 

“Yeah,” Percy nodded. “I’m glad we ran into each other again at Dr. Stirling’s. Guess we both needed her help, huh?” Percy asked, sleepily. “It’s nice that there’s counseling available for powered people.”

 

Peter mumbled his agreement as he rested his head on Percy’s. He pulled his phone out, firing off a text to Tony, before the two boys fell asleep, Zoe looking down on them, shining brightly.

 

* * *

“I’m sorry sir, but there is no match to Mr. Jackson’s DNA in any database, including those that record DNA from uncovered bones.”

 

“Well, that’s just great,” Tony groaned, dropping his head onto his arms.

 

“Actually, while it appears he has a complete set of DNA that is uniquely his, only one parent’s DNA, his mother, has been passed on to him. The rest is… confusing.”

 

“What the-” Tony trailed off as he pulled up the results on his tablet. There on the screen was a visual of Percy’s DNA. At first glance it appeared normal. However, when he ran a test, the screen blinked blue, indicating that yes, only one parent passed on DNA. “I swear, if this is more aliens or some crap… FRIDAY, pull up what you can on both Sally Jackson and Annabeth Chase. If anything similar comes up, let me know.”

 

After a few more minutes, Tony was even more stumped. Annabeth Chase had no mother listed, and she too, had DNA as different as Percy’s. Only DNA from her father had been passed on, though both her half-brothers had DNA from two parents . He continued to run tests on people both Percy and Annabeth were associated with, and many came up with similar results.

 

It wasn’t until he stumbled across a photo of two kids who had been born in the nineteen hundreds, that logically should’ve been over eighty years old, yet were obviously only teenagers, that he knew he was going to need help.

 

Grumbling to himself, he sent off a text to Rhodey and Banner, asking them to come to the tower the following morning.

 

Checking his message, he saw one from Peter.

 

**_Spider-Kid:_ ** _Hey, Mr. Stark. Don’t worry about me. I’m gonna stay over at Percy’s place. I’ll be back at the tower in the morning to get my stuff before school._

 

**_Iron-Dad:_ ** _Thanks for letting me know. But don’t think this is going to happen all the time. Happy’ll drive you to school in the morning._

 

Tony sighed. He could tell that Peter was attached to his new friend, and seemed to come back happier after hanging out with him. Maybe this Percy Jackson wasn’t all bad.

 

* * *

It was two weeks later that Peter got to see what Percy meant by IM’ing. Peter had been texting Rachel and Percy a lot, as well as doing research on Greek mythology. He had communicated with the son of the sea god and the Oracle, who was pleased to have another friend that was a clear sighted mortal, but yet could understand the hardships that came with being a young warrior, or in Peter’s case, superhero.

 

Peter gaped in awe at what he was seeing.

 

After talking with the two in their group chat for awhile, it was finally decided that Percy should IM Peter so he could see what they were talking about.

 

And Percy was right. It was not what he was expecting.

 

“This is so cool,” he breathed, taking in the sight. 

 

Percy had explained to him that demigods used Iris messages to talk to each other. The goddess would connect a demigod to whoever they wanted when they tossed a golden drachma into a rainbow.

 

“So, actually, even though I have a phone now,” Percy continued. “I sometimes like to us Iris messages more. I dunno, they seem more personal, and it’s like the demigod version of face timing.”

 

“This is so cool.” Peter tilted his head, hearing footsteps coming down the hall. He sighed, hearing voices talking. “I think someone’s coming. Seems like it’s a mission, so I gotta go.”

 

Percy nodded, saying goodbye before swiping his hand through the message.

 

“Peter?” There was a knock on the door.

 

“It’s open,” he called out. 

 

Tony opened the door, looking confused when he didn’t see Peter on his bed. The young hero had spent the night at the compound, and was more often, as he now had a room there.

 

“Up here,” Peter waved from his spot on the ceiling, before dropping down. “Mission?”

 

“Jeez, kid. What’s with you and the ceiling? And yeah, aliens in the city. Suit up.”

 

* * *

The mission was going relatively well. They were down to fifteen of the aliens, that looked like bears, but they were purple and orange with horns, slime oozing off of them.

 

Only a few heroes were at the compound. Things weren’t perfect after their most recent battle, and some were still grieving the loss of those who fell in the battle against Thanos.

 

Iron Man, Spider-Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Steve Rogers (name pending) were the ones to answer this call. Things were still rocky between Steve and Tony, but Peter saw it as a step forward that they were working alongside each other, even if the old Captain America was no longer, due to everything that happened. He had a new uniform, this one dark blue and black, rather than the classic patriotic theme.

 

Peter had been sent to evacuate the nearby parking structure, something he complained about, since he wanted to fight, but listened anyways. 

 

He had gotten everyone out when he heard Steve shouting something, before his new shield, the one without the classic logo, courtesy of T’challa, went flying through the air, hitting an alien.

 

Peter stared, wide-eyed as he heard the alien hit the ceiling. A second later, the roof of the parking garage Peter had been evacuating began to cave in.

 

His breath quickened as he tried to quell the rising panic he felt in his stomach. But it was no use.

 

Peter was back under the building, crushed and alone. He cried out for help, everything aching. The space was too small and all he wanted was a hug from aunt May, to be safe.

 

_Peter?_ Karen’s voice tried to break through. _I advise that you attempt to slow your breathing and exit the structure. It is not structurally sound, and is in danger of completely collapsing in the next five minutes._

 

Peter gasped, trying to cling to the AI’s comforting voice, but the dust falling on his face had him collapsing on the floor. His muscles stiffened, ready to feel the concrete crush him yet again.

 

It never came.

 

Peter was unsure how much time had passed, but he felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder. He flinched away slightly, before opening his eyes to see who it was. He was expecting to see Tony, or one of his other teammates, so it was a surprise to see his friend.

 

“Percy?” 

 

“Hey,” he replied softly, sitting down next to Peter. “Just listen to my voice. You’re going to be okay. Take your time. Look up.”

 

Peter did hesitantly, his shoulders relaxing when he could see the blue sky. “How-?” he breathed out, his breaths shaky, but evening out.

 

“I told you, you’re not the only one here with special powers,” Percy grinned. “You’re lucky I was nearby. I spotted the team, and figured you were around. When I saw you needed help, I stepped in.”

 

“Thanks,” Peter responded, shakily sitting up. He remembered now who Percy really was. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that there were Greek gods stationed above the Empire State Building. “How’s it going out there?”

 

“They have it handled,” Percy responded, waving his hand. “Annabeth’s out there, with a couple of our friends, ready to help if needed. Honestly, they’re worried about anyone else finding out about our world, but to help save people, they’ll risk it.”

 

“Thanks, man,” Peter nodded his head as Percy helped him stand up. His breathing and heart rate were under control, according to Karen.

 

The familiar sound of thrusters echoed through the remains of the building, and Iron Man touched down. Tony stepped out of the suit, worry etched on his face as he approached Peter.

 

“Hey, kid. You okay? I got here as quick as I could.”

 

“Uh, yeah, Mr. Stark. I’m okay now. No injuries.”

 

“And who are you?” Tony turned towards Percy, who was looking at his feet, hands stuffed in his sweatshirt pockets.

 

Percy looked up, and Tony blinked seeing his eyes. They were a color he hadn’t seen before, and at just a glance, he could tell this kid had seen things he couldn’t even imagine.

 

“I’m Percy. Percy Jackson.”

 

* * *

Tony felt his chest tightening as he saw the parking structure began to crumble. Peter had been evacuating the civilians, getting them all out safely. But now he was alone there, minutes away from being crushed by another building.

 

He was about to fly over to save the kid when he was thrown backwards, slamming into a building hard enough that his vision blacked out for a minute, the brick wall crumbling under the impact of the suit.

 

_I detect a minor concussion and a sprained wrist on top of all your previous injuries,_ FRIDAY’s voice reported.

 

“Not now,” Tony mumbled, getting to his feet. His main priority was saving Peter. Tony made his way to the edge of the building, ready to go save his protege, when he stopped in his tracks. The rest of his teammates turned, watching in awe.

 

A wave of water from the nearby pond was shooting up towards the roof of the collapsing building, solidifying slightly. It changed shape, forming a hand that grabbed the pieces of falling concrete, placing them safely back on the ground. 

 

The water then washed up over the nearest group of aliens, swirling them back to the ground as they were bombarded with the concrete, killing all five of them, leaving only ten left alive.

 

Tony just stared, standing completely still. “FRIDAY? What was that?”

 

_It appears that some unknown person or object nearby has some form of control over water, and used it to help you._

 

“We should get them to join the team,” Tony mumbled under his breath, before shaking his head, trying to clear his mind. “Can you get a read on Peter’s vitals?”

 

_It appears that Mr. Parker is suffering from a panic attack, likely due to the similarities of today and when he fought the Vulture._

 

Tony nodded, before taking off, determined to help Peter through his flashback. 

 

Needless to say, it came as a surprise to come across Peter and a black-haired kid who appeared to be a couple years older sitting together, talking quietly.

 

It came as an even bigger surprise to find out that _this_ was Percy Jackson.

 

Tony took in Percy’s appearance. He was wearing jeans and beat up converse, a white shirt, and what appeared to be a swim team sweatshirt from his school, sleeves pushed up enough that Tony could see a tattoo peaking out. There was also a necklace with clay beads on it around his neck.

 

“Percy Jackson. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

 

Percy raised an eyebrow, fiddling with something in his pocket. “And I’ve heard about you.”

 

“You’re not a normal civilian,” Tony blurted out. “I mean,” he continued, seeing the look on Percy’s face, “you’re right in the middle of this war-zone, completely unfazed. You know how to handle panic attacks.”

 

Percy shrugged. “I’ve seen my fair share in my life. And yeah, a lot of my friends suffer from flashbacks and PTSD, so I know how to help them. I do too,” he added on, like it was an after thought, “so I know what helps me best.”

 

“Percy!” a feminine voice called out.

 

Percy turned towards the voice, eyes softening as he realized who it was. “Yeah, I’ll be right there,” he called out. “Well, it was nice to meet you. And Peter, let me know if you need me as backup for anything. Later!” He started to run over, easily leaping over the small amount of rubble on the ground. He disappeared around the corner of the building.

 

“You okay, kid?”

 

“I’m okay,” Peter shrugged. “Percy helped me.”

 

“I see that. I know something’s up with him. He just happens to be here when we see a giant hand made of water save your life, _and_ take out a third of the aliens just like that? He suffers from PTSD, and so do his friends, and the way he was talking about it makes it seem like nightmares and panic attacks are nothing new to him. Care to explain anything?”

 

“Um… he’s just… really cool? Like he said, he hasn’t had an easy life. He gets what it’s like, to balance school and nightmares and stuff.”

 

Tony simply raised an eyebrow in response.

 

“I know what you’re asking, Mr. Stark. But it’s not my place to say anything.”

 

Tony sighed, letting the matter drop for the time being. “Let’s get you back to the compound.”

 

* * *

Later that night, when everyone was asleep, Tony pulled up camera footage from the battle, on the look out for Percy Jackson.

 

He spotted a group of teenagers in the park across the street, one of them being the boy in question. Tony watched as Percy tensed, before running over to the parking structure, yelling something over his shoulder. The other teens stood up, tense as they watched the fight, like they were ready to help at a moments notice.

 

Meanwhile, Percy stopped in front of the parking deck, turning towards the pond. He closed his eyes, raising his hand slightly, the water responding to his movements. After the aliens had been killed, Percy immediately entered the building, finding Peter.

 

Tony had been unsure about Percy Jackson, and still was when it came to the powers he seemed to have. Where had he gotten them? Was it an accident? Was he born with them? He pushed those questions aside, making a decision.

 

Percy Jackson had saved Peter, and for that, Tony would be forever grateful. Guess he had another kid to look after now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so that marks the end of the first installment of this series! i hope you guys enjoyed it, and are looking forward to more of these two boys being friends and learning to heal. I have some ideas in the works, but feel free to leave suggestions for me!


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